Letters, March 18

Going nuclear

Re: Now is not the time for pipelines, Think Tank, March 14

Scott Forbes writes, “The technology already exists to free ourselves from the stranglehold of fossil fuels. What, then, stands in the way of the renewable energy transition?”

Well, one of the things that stands in the way is you and Greenpeace and all the other anti-science nuclear protestors out there and not what you call “the shills for nuclear power.”

James Hansen, the climate scientist who first warned the U.S. Congress on the danger of climate change, states, “The opposition to nuclear power is truly insane. All these fears — about radiation, about waste, about accidents — have no basis in science. This aversion is quasi-religious and irrational.”

Georg Montbiot, a journalist who, in 1995, received the United Nations Global 500 Award for outstanding environmental achievement presented by Nelson Mandela, says that, “Anyone who believes that the safety, financing and delivery of nuclear power are bigger problems than the threats posed by climate change has lost all sense of proportion.”

These men are not “shills” for nuclear power nor are they “useful idiots” but rather they are two very credible proponents for the need to use this clean energy to stop global warming.

Forbes states that we must “Rapidly electrify and decarbonize the economy.” I agree, and to accomplish this, we must take advantage of the massive amount of energy that can be produced by nuclear power.

Warren Martin

Flin Flon

Spring forward

Let’s recap (Premier springs into action on clock change, March 14). Changing our clocks between daylight saving and standard time twice yearly is unhealthy because people have difficulty adjusting. Daylight time is unhealthy because it misaligns daylight hours with our circadian rhythm and thereby causes various maladies.

Add that evidence does not support the claim that less energy is consumed during daylight time. Then further add that the United States tried year-round daylight time in the 1970s and changed its mind, largely because people hated the lengthier, dark winter mornings.

So, why would Premier Wab Kinew poll Manitobans? Instead, why wouldn’t he clearly explain what the right choice is and then switch us to permanent standard time? That’s called leadership.

If polling shows that Manitobans favour permanent daylight time, will he implement it? Amazingly, that’s what B.C. did.

Given the vast amount of money spent on health care, why would a politician make a change that negatively affects people’s health? Perhaps in search of a few more votes? Would our premier ever do that? I hope not.

I hope the Manitoba government follows the evidence. I hope it chooses permanent standard time.

Calvin Brown

R.M. of St. Andrews

Curbing shoplifting

If the various levels of government do not want to toughen theft laws in order to help deter shoplifters, perhaps more stores need to adopt policies like Costco has where you have to show and scan an ID card when going into the store, and you have to have your receipt checked before you leave.

As a Costco shopper, it it is pretty quick both coming into and leaving the store on a normal day, and on busy days it does take a bit longer to leave store, but I have not once witnessed one person concealing something in the store or have I seen one person try to leave without paying and I have been going to Costco for many years about once a week which is approximately how often I go to Walmart etc.

Seems like times have changed where many in society think it is OK for people to steal and they do not mind paying higher prices to let these people steal.

I still feel most people are like me and are honest citizens and are getting very tired of the shoplifters getting away with this. If the government has no interest in doing anything about it, then the big box stores need to adopt what Costco does to tell people it is not OK to steal. I, for one, would not mind the minor inconvenience of showing ID cards and showing receipts and I think I would not be alone in this.

When will we finally say enough is enough?

Ron Robert

Winnipeg

Time to act

I quote Anne Thompson from her restrained and cogent Think Tank piece of March 5, Health care and credibility: “The path forward is clear: define the obligations, align the resources and trace accountability to where decisions are made.”

I quote letter writer Alan Menkis, responding to Dr. Krahn’s letter upon the utility of competition in the purveyance of health care, on March 16: “Manitoba does not lack the will to reform. What it lacks is clarity about who is responsible for which patients, for what outcomes and for what follows when those outcomes are not met. Answer that first. Then competition has something real to work with.”

I note, that Dr. Menkis has spent more than 40 years providing, and administrating, health care in complex environments.

Things are not easing in our ever more complex world. When will we act on such sensible advice from experienced individuals?

Chris Jensen

Winnipeg

Truancy numbers matter

Re: Government data shows extent of truancy issue, March 16

The Free Press editorial on chronic absenteeism is a very important call to action.

Children who do not attend school regularly, make up the majority of our poor, unemployed youth.

The minister Of Education is getting bad advice from senior educators when she believes that the public should not be aware of the enormity of the issue.

Wab Kinew’s bold vision of northern development will require an educated workforce prepared to work.

The high chronic absenteeism rate results in a significant number of youth who not only cannot read and write effectively, but have not learned to attend school and therefore will have difficulty attending work regularly.

Admitting to the severity of the issue is only the first step of integrating youth from poor homes into our workforce and to a future of life without poverty.

There is no excuse for not sharing up-to-date statistics on chronic absenteeism.

If we wish to fully integrate the thousands of families growing up in poverty in Manitoba, we must ensure that children attend school.

Chronic absenteeism is not just an education issue. It’s an issue for all Manitobans who are concerned about the future of everyone who lives in our wonderful province.

Sel Burrows

Winnipeg

Chilling out

I understand and accept the science behind the detrimental effects of time changes, but on a personal and anecdotal level, I don’t see what the big fuss is about.

I believe there is a huge amount of confirmation bias going on.

Was your bad week because of the time change, or did you just have a bad week? Are your kids having such a hard time adjusting because the clocks moved forward, or is it because they are picking up on their parents stressing out about it?

Is it not common practice for workers to regularly travel one or two provinces over on business and manage to make it through the work week? Are you going to avoid that summer trip to the Rockies because it is so hard to adjust to the one-hour time difference?

I’ll admit to feeling a bit extra tired for a couple of mornings last week, but being able to go for a ski in the daylight after work more than made up for it.

Angela Bergen Plett

Winnipeg