Adam Reed: Environment: Solving climate problems will improve our lives
In the wake of the climate action shutdown in Washington, it’s tempting to say our planet is doomed. But there is a more motivating message to spread: fighting climate change comes with co-benefits that will improve our lives.
For example, solar energy can provide affordable electricity. Just look at how its average price has dropped over 70% over the past decade. And the operating costs remain low because the “fuel” is abundant: in one hour, our planet receives more energy from the sun than the whole world consumes in one year!
Facts like these are encouraging. So the next time you talk about climate action, don’t forget to mention the co-benefits.
Adam Reed, Longmont
Elaine Collins, Jane Scott and Tracy Winfree: Sue Griffith: Thank you for decades of service
A longtime community health professional hangs up her stethoscope this month and she is greatly appreciated and will be sorely missed.
Sue Griffith, Physician Assistant at Boulder Creek Family Medicine, has served the Boulder community for 24 years. His expert care for patients and their families was provided with compassion, dedication and humility.
Sue’s humble nature means many don’t know that she is also an accomplished Nordic skier, often one of the best in national competitions, and an avid and capable swimmer, hiker, cyclist and great all-around athlete.
Sue and her husband, Ray, also raised a family in Boulder, guiding their children through the public school system to grow into successful young adults who also contribute to the community. As an integral member of the community, Sue’s deep understanding of patients and their families has translated into helping families improve their health and quality of life.
On behalf of her many patients and friends, congratulations to Sue Griffith on a well-deserved retirement and thank you for decades of service to the welfare of the community!
Elaine Collins, Jane Scott and Tracy Winfree, Boulder
Jo Walsh: Camera Designs: Unexplained Changes Making Reading Difficult
What is the reason for the recent unexplained changes to the daily camera font and print? It’s harder to read.
Some examples from Sunday’s newspaper:
- In volunteer opportunities, individual nonprofits are no longer highlighted, making it more difficult to review needs and opportunities.
- Photo caption fonts are generally more bland and lighter.
- Likewise, titles and content fonts in the Sport range are much smaller and lighter.
- Also in the Sports section, golf score summaries, like for The Open, are no longer lined up, making them very difficult to view.
- The item input font has changed. Compare the two articles at the bottom of page 5 of the Sports section. New path on the left and old path on the right for Eugene, Oregon. The old path stands out better.
- Finally, the NYT puzzle. All clues are bold with no period after the clue numbers, and the puzzle grid is much smaller, making it harder to read the clues and fill in the boxes.
Your readers aren’t happy with these changes, especially without an explanation. Please revert to old formats. They are as they have been for years. Why change?
Jo Walsh, Boulder
Freddy Weiland: Heat wave: we have to reduce the meat
Record-breaking heatwaves in America and Europe are putting millions of people at risk as wildfires rage in a brutal manifestation of human-induced global warming.
Each of us can reduce our personal contribution by reducing our consumption of foods of animal origin, which represent a huge part of “greenhouse gases”. Carbon dioxide is released by burning forests to create pasture for animals. Methane and nitrous oxide are released through the digestive tracts of cows and sheep and through animal waste pits.
In an ecologically sustainable world, vegetables, fruits and grains should replace animal-based food products in our diets, just as wind, sun and other renewable energy sources replace fossil fuels. The next trip to our favorite supermarket offers a great opportunity to explore delicious, healthy and eco-friendly plant-based meat and ice cream products in the frozen food section.
Freddy Weiland, Fort Collins
Marny Eulberg: Polio: we must walk again against the virus
Poliomyelitis is a debilitating and sometimes fatal disease. Recently, it was learned that the poliomyelitis virus had been recovered from the sewers of London. Now, the case of a young adult in New York who is unvaccinated and paralyzed by polio has been reported.
The young man appears to have been infected with a strain of the virus derived from a vaccine. Vaccine-derived polio vaccine outbreaks occur where immunization coverage is low.
To understand how this happens, you need to know the difference between the oral form (Sabin) of polio vaccine given as drops or on a sugar cube, and the inactivated and killed injectable vaccine (Salk).
Oral polio vaccination has not been used in the United States since 2000. However, it continues to be used in many parts of the world. Sabin vaccine contains live attenuated virus and may rarely cause vaccine-associated poliomyelitis and circulating vaccine-derived poliomyelitis. The World Health Organization organized an initiative to discontinue the use of oral polio vaccine.
The Salk vaccine is developed from killed virus and does not cause vaccine-associated infection. Two doses of inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine provide 90% immunity against all three types of poliomyelitis virus. A three-dose series provides at least 99% immunity.
During COVID-19, vaccination rates among children have declined. To eradicate polio, we must walk against polio again. The usual polio vaccination schedule is one dose at two months, four months, six to 18 months of age and a booster dose at four to six years of age.
Marny Eulberg, MD, Wheat Ridge
