Is George Will a shill? Or just a selective reader?

In his April 3 column, "Let Cooler Heads Prevail," George Will argued that in the 1970s scientists claimed the earth was getting cooler but "were spectacularly wrong." Thus, he implies, we should be dubious about the current scientific consensus that carbon dioxide from burning coal and oil is warming the planet.

Mr. Will cites only one scientific paper, from the Dec. 10, 1976, issue of the journal Science, that he said "warned of 'extensive Northern Hemisphere glaciation.' " The paper's full conclusion actually reads: "A model of future climate based on the observed orbital climate relationships, but ignoring anthropogenic [i.e. human] effects, predicts that the long-term trend over the next several thousand years is toward extensive Northern Hemisphere glaciation." It notes that these predictions "apply only to the natural component of future climate trends -- and not to such anthropogenic effects as those due to the burning of fossil fuels."

Translation: If we left the atmosphere alone, over the next few thousand years the earth would probably cool. However, we have not left the atmosphere alone. We continue to dump all the carbon in those mile-long coal trains, coal barges and tank cars into the air as invisible heat-trapping carbon dioxide gas.

Did Mr. Will actually read the 1976 Science article and chose to quote it selectively? Or did he simply parrot the propaganda of a few special interests as they try desperately to confuse the public in the face of overwhelming evidence that the planet is warming, and human actions are responsible?

M. GRANGER MORGAN
Head, Department of Engineering and Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University
Oakland

---

A laugh riot

I'd just about gotten over laughing at the wing nut columnists' campaign to characterize the bad news that is Iraq as a media plot, when I came upon George Will's "Let Cooler Heads Prevail" (April 3).

Turns out, says Mr. Will, the global warming "problem is big crusading journalism," too. Logic, as well as all the world's climate scientists not employed by the energy industry, would inform us the massive release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by runaway fossil fuel burning might destabilize our planet's climate.

No, says Mr. Will, it's all a plot to scare the public, generated by a shadowy group he calls "the science-journalism complex." What's more, even if the scientists are right (and they've been wrong before, you know), maybe change is good.

Ha-ha, George! Nothing funnier that a self-proclaimed conservative telling us not to be prudent and careful with our only home in the universe.

ROBERT STEFFES
Aliquippa

---

Fix this mess

As a college computer instructor, I have been watching technology professionals protesting about electronic voting machines' hackability, undependability and lack of verification, among other issues.

Their opinions -- those of the top computer experts in the United States -- were ignored. The government pushed for electronic machines before the technology was mature, but worse, it essentially bought bad technology to count votes, with the Help America Vote Act money being tied to an arbitrary deadline that forced systems into service before they could be proved to be reliable.

Even technologically naive people know that it is extremely difficult to prove that information stored in an electronic device has been tampered with or not -- or even if it is present or not. And if voters don't have faith in the recording of their votes, why should a voter believe a paper receipt "proves" his/her votes for any candidate were actually recorded once and only once?

Requiring such machines to be used guarantees only that a lot of machines will get sold, that every election will be contested and a lot of people won't vote, or demand paper ballots. Voting process integrity isn't an option. This mess has got to be fixed.

JOSEPH ADAMS
Friendship

---

Get the bums out

Isn't it ironic that our conservative Republicans can cut programs that will help America's neediest, but will support legislation that will flood our country with illegals and create a welfare glut for the undeserving.

2006 and '08 can't come fast enough. Let's get a big broom and sweep them all out. Voters better wise up. Abortion isn't our No. 1 problem.

CHICK DINOVITZ
Scott

---

Boiling point?

In the early 1860s this country fought a civil war to end the practice of slavery. Those black slaves were indeed mistreated and beaten if they tried to escape, but they were also provided food, shelter and clothing, and some were allowed to learn skills that would eventually make them employable in a free market.

Today's slave labor is predominately Hispanic or Asian and they are doing many of the same jobs the black slaves did. The only differences are, they are being paid a ridiculously low wage, they get no benefits, shelter, health care or sense of belonging. When the crops are picked, they are told to hit the road. If they do not like the hours in the sweat shop, tough.

We need to raise the minimum wage to at least $12 an hour. Send the illegals home so that legal American citizens and aliens can take those jobs that nobody wants at $2.50 an hour. And we need to enforce the laws that control minimum wage, interstate commerce, and child labor.

Get the lawmakers out of the lobbyists' pockets, and maybe we can see profits and prices go down and wages, benefits and living standards go up. Or is it time for another Civil War?

RICHARD MAZURE
Ross

---

Our pal Saddam

I found the April 5 front-page article "Saddam Charged with Kurd Genocide" to be deeply ironic, particularly the subheadline: "One of U.S. Reasons to Invade."

Interestingly, the Reagan administration found no such reason to condemn Hussein's atrocities in the 1980s. In fact, as reported by The Washington Post in 2002, the Reagan administration and its special Mideast envoy, Donald Rumsfeld, offered support to Hussein, including military equipment and anthrax, and were willing to restore full diplomatic relations with Iraq in 1983, despite U.S. intelligence reports of Iraq's frequent use of chemical weapons.

Perhaps Mr. Rumsfeld should be charged as a co-conspirator to Kurd genocide.

SCOTT GARRETT
South Side

---

Yellow Cab blues

It is a shame that Allison Browne from New York had to find out how lousy our taxi service is ("Dearth of Cabs," April 2 letters). She simply wanted to go from Shadyside to the South Side after dinner, but could not get a cab. If she wanted to go to the airport, of course, they would have been fighting to take her there. In New York, you can take a cab for two blocks or three. Not here.

I once arrived at the Amtrak station Dowtown and was greeted by two Yellow cab drivers. One yelled out, "Anyone here need a taxi?" Two people and I raised our hands. They asked: Where do you need to go? When I said Reserve Township (which borders the city, just behind Troy Hill), they both ran to the next person who said Monroeville. Well, she was scooped up and rushed out the door. The next person said Penn Hills, and was gone.

Left standing alone, I called Yellow Cab from the station and requested a taxi. None came.

BETTY MULLIGAN
Reserve

---

Church may help you live longer, and it surely helps you live better

Regarding the April 4 front-page article "Church May Help You Live Longer":

Church can be an anchor in your life. Church allows you to see things from a higher perspective than what your five senses present. This takes constant practice and alertness. Going to church gives you effective ammunition (ideas) to use against the depressing concepts presented by everyday life. Church reminds us that we are not alone, struggling with life's challenges. This realization is invaluable. I chuckled at the statement in the article: "The study also suggested that regular church attendance could be more cost-effective, in terms of added years of life, than taking ... drugs.") Consistently reliable security is priceless.

Two books that I read in my church have pertinent messages:

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Bible: Isa. 41:10).

"The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick" ("Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 583).

One more thought: Do we want to live more calendar years -- or do we want to live each day more fully, more satisfactorily? For me, church helps with both.

NED GARNHART
Upper St. Clair