Greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide, are causing disastrous climate impacts now and will for decades more if not reduced quickly.

Unfortunately, on June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court in West Virginia v. EPA limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to reduce these emissions from power plants. It ruled that the EPA overstepped its congressional authority under the Clean Air Act in attempting to regulate carbon dioxide emissions.

Therefore, Congress must act immediately either to give EPA authority or enact other regulations to address emissions. Fortunately, there is an easy fix: Congress can amend the Clean Air Act that grants EPA the flexibility to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. However, a much better solution is for Congress to finally approve a price on greenhouse gas emissions to reflect their damages and return revenues to people, something the Citizens’ Climate Lobby has advocated for years.

Paul Bernstein

Aina Haina

Court brings America back to first principles

No, the sky is not falling and the Supreme Court is not controlled by a cabal of right-wing extremists, as President Joe Biden, the press and the Democratic party would have you believe.

The recent decisions pointed out that the Constitution is silent on an abortion right, and is something properly left to the states to be treated as a possible unenumerated right; invoked the Constitution’s right to bear arms; cited the Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom; and reined in out- of-control administrative actions that violated the Constitution’s separation- of-powers design.

In the last case, the court challenged the “I have a pen and a phone”-type abuses used by presidents stymied by an uncooperative Congress, or by Congress turning bill-writing over to executive agencies (“the experts”) while ignoring that the legislative branch is responsible for making laws.

America is blessed by a Supreme Court that has brought the nation back to its founding principles.

Tom Freitas

Hawaii Kai

The sea can be source of firm renewable energy

I am a supporter of renewable energy, including solar and wind energy resources.

I do not support burning trees as an alternative resource, even if it is considered a “firm energy” resource (“Hu Honua Bioenergy appeals to Hawaii Supreme Court after rejection of biomass plant,” Star-Advertiser, July 1).

There has been very little discussion about the use of the ocean as a 24/7 resource.

My concern is that solar panels have a life of about 30 years. Has anyone wondered what will become of them once their useful life ends?

There is new technology being developed to reuse the panels, but it is not in widespread use yet. Before we get to the point of filling the landfill with solar panels, should we not have further discussion on how to harness the ocean as a “firm” renewable energy resource?

Ken Takeya

Kailua

Fireworks have offered a lifetime of enjoyment

As a kid growing up here in the 1950s, I enjoyed playing with fireworks every day during Christmas vacation. I still enjoy the sight and sound of fireworks. I’m so sorry that so many of you do not appreciate celebrating with fireworks. Just everyone be careful.

Gerald Ching

Waialae Iki

Lack of fireworks show a July 4 disappointment

Fireworks were such a joy to see every Fourth of July. We would bring people over to watch them and their beautiful, spectacular lighting up of the sky.

This year we sat on our porch and saw nothing. Whom do we thank for ruining our Fourth of July? It was so special to Hawaii and now is pau.

Jim Delmonte

Hawaii Kai

Biological sex not same as gender identification

In response to “Male and female are the only two genders” (Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 4): I don’t know what “science” the writer was referring to, but male and female are biological sexes (and not the only ones, I might add; intersex individuals also exist. This is a scientific fact of nature).

Gender is a society’s association of certain roles or characteristics with a certain biological sex, and this association may differ among cultures, and differ among time periods in human history. One’s behaviors and gender identity may or may not match up with the biological sex one was born with.

All of this seems obvious to me (and increasingly obvious to society at large), but my main question here is: Why get so worked up about how other people think of themselves? How does this threaten you personally?

Frances Jones

Manoa

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