Mauna Loa readings show CO2 still climbing

Regarding “Climate disinformation leaves lasting mark as world heats up” (Star-Advertiser, July 27): This is the undisputed truth.

In 1958, instruments on Mauna Loa began measuring CO2 in the atmosphere. The first reading was 313 parts per million (ppm); recent readings show 418 ppm, up by more than 100 — very bad news.

What this means is that worldwide carbon dioxide emissions in the 1950s were about 5 billion metric tons. Now it is about 35 billion tons. This is why today’s summer heat wave in the U.S. is 10 to 20 degrees above normal. Even London recently hit 104 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking all heat records.

The current East and West Coast heat waves, with temperatures as high as 110 degrees in Washington state, would be virtually impossible without climate change caused by out-of-control pollution of the air by fossil fuels. There is no debate. Global warming is real. What is the world doing to stop it?

Why is Congress divided on stopping emissions? This national and worldwide emergency seems to have been ignored. Fossil fuel companies will always fight renewable energy if it hurts their bottom line.

Tom Sebas

Waikiki

Encourage planting of more trees in the city

Regarding President Joe Biden’s plan to plant a billion trees, using funds from the bipartisan infrastructure law, and the bipartisan Repairing Existing Public Land by Adding Necessary Trees Act (REPLANT): It was for once good to see that both political parties can agree on something. This plan is not a forward-looking idea, but only addresses the serious backlog of reforestation.

Over the last many years, I have seen a significant decrease in the number of street-side trees. When a tree is diseased, a city crew promptly cuts the tree down, but it is not replaced.

If the city cannot replant trees, the adjacent property owners should be encouraged to plant appropriate trees. Additionally, those living on a landed property should plant as many trees as possible and grow our own food.

We should incentivize mini-forests and green corridors on privately owned lands.

As individuals, we all need to move away from consumerism, live simply and leave as minimal a carbon footprint as possible. Like charity, environmental action begins at home.

Birendra S. Huja

Kahala

Women don’t support WNBA as much as NBA

In her column on Title IX, Celia Downes made this pronouncement: “There is still no reason why WNBA players’ earnings are so comparatively low that they feel they must play overseas just to ensure a solid income” (“Title IX’s mandates can’t solve all inequality,” Star-Advertiser, July 21).

I disagree. There are many reasons why this is so. The average attendance at an NBA game is 19,200. The average attendance at a WNBA game is 2,400. The NBA finals were viewed by 15 million people. Last year’s WNBA finals were viewed by 700,000. TV commercial time for the WNBA sells at one-tenth of that for the NBA. Simply put, the revenue is not there to pay WNBA players. That is the reason they feel they must play overseas.

Why is this so? Consider that 42% pf the NBA audience is women. That translates to 7,680 women on average attending NBA games. That alone is more than three times the total average attendance at WNBA games. Women are choosing to spend their money on the men’s game.

Sidney Goldstein

Chinatown

Build a new stadium at UH instead of Halawa

Designing 30,000 stadium seats around the T.C. Ching field provides the highest and best use of funds for a stadium to serve University of Hawaii athletics, and would go a long way to foster and sustain enduring fan support for the program and the UH system.

Anyone who has attended a university whose stadium is on or near the campus can speak to the formidable school spirit at games and other events held there. Imagine college students walking to an outdoors Bruno Mars concert.

The plan should include construction of luxury suites; the lease revenue would help fund UH athletics and research.

Forget Halawa. All this would cost 10% of rail, and provide tenfold the return on value.

Von Kenric Kaneshiro

Downtown Honolulu

Remember how lucky we are in trying times

These are trying times we live in and likely to continue, even worsen.

I’m reminded of a woman’s kind response to a compliment received in a doctor’s waiting room.

As the woman tended so lovingly to her ailing husband, another person said to her. “He’s lucky to have you.” She responded with a smile. “Yes, and I’m so lucky to have him.”

In these trying times, opportunities abound everywhere, everyday, every breath.

William Metzger

Manoa

Migrant smuggling a $1 billion business

Thank you for highlighting the ongoing tragedy on our southern border. According to the latest data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, our Border Patrol has apprehended more than 1.6 million illegal immigrants so far this fiscal year, with three months remaining.

An additional 850,000 are estimated to have evaded the Border Patrol. Yet our head of Homeland Security claims our southern border is secure. The messaging by the Biden administration does not match the facts.

Jim Gebhard

Kailua

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