Letters to the Editor - Lakeville Journal - 2-14-19

We can do our part

The planet is warming up, and we are seeing the results in extreme weather, melting polar ice, receding glaciers, unprecedented droughts, and rising sea levels. It is not a mystery why this is happening. We burn fossil fuels like mad men. In spite of all the promises, protocols, and protests, carbon emissions continue to rise. According to an early report, carbon emissions rose 3.4 percent last year in the U.S. And carbon dioxide (CO2) is only one of the heat trapping greenhouse gases being pumped up into the atmosphere.

Keeping such sobering information in mind, and considering the fact that we Americans produce more CO2 per capita than citizens of any other country save Saudi Arabia and Australia, we can do more than wring our hands while we wait for our politicians to wake up to an imminent catastrophe.  We can do our part. Here are some suggestions:

Drive a little less. Every gallon of gas produces about 20 pounds of CO2. The CO2 energy equivalent required to get the gas from the ground into a fuel tank varies from 3.5 to 6.7 pounds. That means that when we use a gallon of gas, we send at least 24 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Don’t replace your cell phone. The average person replaces a cell phone every two years. The energy required to mine the 60-plus metals needed to assemble a new cell phone is roughly equivalent to running a refrigerator for a year. Producing an iPhone 6 releases about 175 pounds of CO2. 

Turn off the cable box when not in use. The power consumption of the average cable box/DVR combo is higher than the average refrigerator because we always leave these devices on. Using a power strip for the TV and cable box and switching it off when not watching saves that wasted energy. 

Unplug laptops. Leaving a laptop plugged in when it is fully charged uses 4.5 kilowatts a week or 235 kilowatts a year. 

Use a microwave. The microwave is the most energy-efficient appliance in most kitchens. It uses one-third the energy of the average oven. 

Replace your incandescent light bulbs. Halogen incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent lights (CLFs) and light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs) use anywhere from 25-80 percent less electricity and last three to 25 times longer than traditional bulbs. 

Buy fewer clothes. The global apparel and footware industries account for 8 percent of global greenhouse gases. According to Savers, a used clothing retailer, 81 pounds of textile waste is thrown out by the average North American each year. Global consumption of apparel delivers a per capital equivalent of 442 kilograms of CO2. In a business-as-usual scenario, the climate impact of the apparel industry is expected to increase by 49 percent by 2030, producing the CO2 equivalent of the current total annual U.S. output.

And finally, pester your representatives in Congress. Serious action is required before drastic action is needed. The wolf is at the door.

Lyn Mattoon

Sharon Environment and Energy Commission

Sharon

Avoid single-use plastic bags

The title of Patrick Sullivan’s article in The Lakeville Journal last week is “State trash regulations will impact both Salisbury and Sharon.” His article shows that each of us needs to be more vigilant about what we dispose of and how we dispose of it. Towns across Connecticut are confronting the problems of trash. One of the many problems with trash is caused by the millions of single-use plastic bags.

I encourage each individual in the Northwest Corner to be aware of how many single-use plastic bags you use. The average American family uses about 15,000 single-use bags a year.  Each of these bags is made of petroleum and natural gas. Nine bags require the same amount of energy to create as driving a car for a half mile. Each bag is used for approximately 12 minutes.

Plastic bags can be remade into something like plastic lumber, but are generally tossed into garbage or single stream recycling, where it does not belong and where it clogs the machinery at the Materials Recovery Facility. Many bags end up blowing into the ocean or into the woods, where they will not decompose and often harm wildlife and marine life.  The particles of a decomposing plastic bag are then absorbed by humans through the food chain.

What can you do to reduce or eliminate your single-use plastic bag consumption? You can say “No thanks.” to the offer of a plastic bag. You can bring your own bag to the store. You can carry a single item or two without a bag.  Paper bags are not a viable alternative as they have their own impact on the environment and are costly for the retailer.

There are about 10 bills before the Connecticut General Assembly that propose laws to ban plastics. Rather than wait for Connecticut to ban plastic bags, let us begin, as responsible citizens, to reduce our use in Salisbury and Sharon. It’s a challenge to change our habits, but many of us remember when we had to carry our groceries to the car without the use of a disposable bag.

Joanne Taber

Salisbury

Snow Ball was a great success

As the organizer of the Salisbury Winter Sports Association annual Snow Ball Dance, I would like to say that this year was another huge success and all of us at SWSA would like to thank The White Hart inn for their time, effort and generosity. Thanks as well to the many volunteers and dozens of local businesses who donated prizes to the annual Snow Ball raffle, which is always a favorite part of the evening. We would also like to thank our generous friends at the Lagunitas Beer Company for their extensive ongoing support. Without this support our event would not be possible. See you at our next SWSA event!

John Sullivan

SWSA

Salisbury

A salute to Salisbury

On a cold gray day last week, I drove to LaBonne’s grocery store to buy a few things. I am 92 years old. Partly hobbled by physical pain, I parked  in the handicapped parking slot. After opening the car door, I reached inside for my cane. As I stepped aside to close the car door, I lost my balance. Falling ignominiously to the pavement, my accident attracted the attention of several people who rushed to help me.  

Each was very solicitous, inquiring as to my feelings and offering to help. Their generous concern was heartwarming and comforting. Together, they lifted me to my feet. Each wanted to know what they could do to help me: How did I feel? Could they take me to the hospital?  They got me out of the cold and into my car. Could they do my shopping for me? Call anyone? Anything at all?

One man asked if I had a shopping list they could take inside. I said yes, “I would love to get the few things I had written down.”  He rushed my list inside and in just a few minutes, an employee of my favorite store, Rich Stomski, came out in his shirt sleeves into the cold from his warm store. In his apron and with a smile on his face he requested clarification about three items on my list: What brand of soup? Which eggs? What brand of ice cream? He could not have been nicer, a wonderful take-charge guy.

I sat in the car, warming up, feeling my bruises and my scraped elbow, calmed down by the neighborliness. I remembered many previous occasions when strangers offered to help me carry grocery bags to the car. The manager came out carrying four green plastic shopping bags, which he tucked into the car. 

I drove home slowly and carefully, more convinced than ever that I was living in a wonderful  community. The unselfish people going out of their way to help a stranger reminded me of the story of the Good Samaritan. 

I want to share my grateful experience, hoping it will please your readers, and also thank those kind helpers.

Harry Hall

Salisbury

The real #HimToo

In a backlash against the #MeToo movement and multiple accusations of sexual assault against various high profile men, a new hashtag has appeared in the Twitterverse: #HimToo. This tag was originally started by a mother worried her son would be falsely accused of rape, echoing President Trump’s sentiment, “It’s a very scary time for young men in America.” It is scary, but not for the reason the users of #HimToo would have you believe.

It is scary because men are more likely to be raped than be falsely accused of rape, and less likely to be believed when they come forward with their #MeToo stories. Estimates from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control (2005) report that one out of six men experience sexual abuse in their lifetime.

Of sexual assaults reported by both men and women, only 2-8 percent are “found” to be false. Inconsistent reporting policies inflate the range, leading researchers to believe the false report rate is 2 percent. This is the same as the percentage for all other felonies. So while the participants in #HimToo are worried about their sons, brothers, fathers and friends being accused of sexual assault, they should really be worried about them being victims of assault. 

Identifying as a male survivor of sexual assault contradicts deeply ingrained cultural narratives about masculinity. These narratives create harmful expectations that men be sexually aggressive, dominant, in control and constantly seeking and ready for sex. These limiting roles can cause male survivors to feel emasculated, and influence their choice not to report - especially considering sexual assault is traditionally considered a “women’s issue.” 

All these barriers compound the most prevalent fear that keeps many people from reporting: no one will believe me. Sadly, this fear is often confirmed, which we see played out in the media and, more personally, in our own communities. A survivor must find the courage not only to report, but also to withstand the backlash of accusations.

As the Community Educator at Women’s Support Services, part of my job is to have conversations with youth about gender roles and stereotypes that create a culture where interpersonal violence is normalized, and how instead, we shift it into one where violence is held accountable, people are empowered to speak out about their experiences and, most importantly, survivors are believed.

Here at Women’s Support Services we believe all survivors, no matter their gender identity. We will listen when others won’t, and provide the support and resources necessary to help people be safer, heal and feel empowered to make their own choices about their lives.

We do this work because real sexual assaults ruin more lives, of both men and women, than do false accusations. The numbers show us that we should be more worried about the men in our lives being victims than being falsely accused, and we should all be inclined to believe survivors when they tell their stories, because 98 percent of the time, they are telling the truth.

Deanna C. Barry

Community Educator

Women’s Support Services

Sharon

The proposal from the state representative for the 64th

The 200 people at the Falls Village meeting at the firehouse on Feb. 7 demonstrated the concern and potential effects of state Rep. Maria Horn’s (D-64) proposed new law to a much larger population around the state. Many thousands of people’s recreation and entertainment, businesses, material and economic investments, many livelihoods are in the balance far outside the Lime Rock/Salisbury area. 

Maria Horn brought it to a much larger political theater. These folks are concerned that a new state law would negate the court judgment or supersede existing state law. The meeting was arranged hastily and spontaneously, no budget or lawyers, only social media, in quick response to Maria Horn’s proposal.

The concern is that this issue will continue to prevail even after a pending Connecticut Supreme Court judgment. Also, were the selectmen lobbying this before the elections as a matter of prior public record? If so, was there public notice, an agenda or minutes taken? Why did this not come up in the run-up before the election? 

More questions need to be answered. Rep. Horn said she brought this up so that debate could take place on the state level. She’s right and other businesses are concerned about the far-reaching effects on other types of businesses.

I’d hope that the pending  state Supreme Court ruling would resolve this expensive, decades-long dispute.

Bob Green

Motorsports Professional

Director, Survive the Drive

Lakeville

Elizabeth Warren spreads her own distrust

In her letter last week, Jandi Hanna said my Jan. 17 column about Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s native claims was “suspect” for “resurrecting this issue” in “an attempt to spread distrust” about Warren.

Not true. My column appeared shortly after Warren launched her candidacy and made new remarks about the native issue. By any journalistic standard, it was timely and relevant. Whatever distrust exists about Warren is her own doing.

Ms. Hanna thinks Warren wouldn’t have falsely claimed native ancestry as a teenager. Very misleading. It’s not about an innocent teen but an adult professor and legal scholar who made official native claims for decades.

Hanna also calls Warren “honest” and “straightforward.” Wrong again. Warren knew she wasn’t a “native” or “minority” or “woman of color” by any stretch of the words. She knew she had no proof but made official claims anyway. You can believe family lore about ancestors on the Mayflower, but an honest person doesn’t officially claim it without proof.

Ms. Hanna says we shouldn’t judge Warren’s past by today’s science. “Had video-capable smartphones existed and been focused on Brett Kavanaugh when he was a teenager,” she says, “he might never have been considered for any judicial position.”

Did Ms. Hanna consider the other possibility? Had the technology existed, Kavanagh might have been exonerated. But Ms. Hanna seems to favor a woman’s word, whether it’s Christine Ford, Warren, etc.

And by the way, Democrats do increasingly judge yesterday’s behavior by today’s standards, as with the current Virginia crisis.

Ms. Hanna “challenges” me to write about Donald Trump’s lies. Apparently there’s too much bad press about Warren to suit her, but not enough about Trump.

Partisanship is blinding.

Mark Godburn

Norfolk