Letters to the Editor: February 15-21

The Editor:

Recently while walking my son’s dog in Lincoln Park, I noticed quite a bit of trimming and thinning of undergrowth over large portions of the park. Also in evidence were a few trees that had yellow tape around them. I later encountered a man walking his two dogs who advised me the city was installing a disc golf course in the park and that dogs would no longer be allowed off leash.

In fact, he told me some city workers on a previous walk had told him to leash his dogs or he would be fined. I have nothing against Frisbee golf but I would think that an area other than the natural setting of Lincoln Park could be found for that pursuit without depriving local dog lovers of one of the only leash optional areas in town. I have been told that when the Lincoln family donated the land to the city it was with the stipulation that the land be kept as pristine as possible and that only the trails be maintained. I hope that someone can shed some light on this before this jewel disappears.

Jake Skibsrud

Blaine

The Editor: 

Re: Carbon tax plan advances in the state senate (February 8, 2018, p.15)

North of the border, pricing carbon pollution is already mainstream economic policy. Carbon pricing systems now cover 86 percent of Canada’s population.

Acting on the climate challenge goes hand-in-hand with strong economic performance, and helps to future-proof our economy in the long term. Data soundly refutes the misconception that a price on carbon pollution hurts economic competitiveness and growth.

In 2017, the four provinces with an effective carbon price outperformed the rest of Canada, and the country led the G7 in economic growth. British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Québec saw 3.2, 4.1, 2.9, and 2.8 percent in real GDP growth, respectively, according to preliminary numbers from RBC Economics Research.

This year, we can look forward to carbon pricing coming to all regions of Canada. B.C.’s carbon tax is scheduled to increase to C$35 per ton in April.

Maximilian Kniewasser

Vancouver B.C.

Director of Pembina Institute’s Climate Policy Program 

The Editor:

Tuesday, February 27 is World Spay Day, a day to celebrate the importance of animal birth control and remind everyone to have their animal companions spayed or neutered. If you haven’t already, there’s no better time to have your animal family members “fixed.”

Spaying and neutering save lives by preventing more cats and dogs from being born only to be abandoned on the streets, euthanized in shelters, abused, or neglected. Sterilizing even one animal makes a huge difference: Just one female dog and her descendants can produce 67,000 puppies in six years, and one female cat and her offspring can lead to 370,000 descendants in seven years. Every new animal who is born either takes away a chance at a home from an animal waiting in a shelter or will end up homeless herself.

Spaying and neutering also prevent animals from contracting uterine, ovarian, and testicular cancers and reduce or eliminate animals’ mating urges, aggression, and excessive territoriality—which is why sterilized dogs are three times less likely to bite.

Please call 800/248-SPAY to find the nearest low-cost spay/neuter clinic. To learn more, visit PETA.org.

Lindsay Pollard-Post

PETA Foundation

Norfolk, VA