Letters, Aug. 18

Winnipeg Free Press

2 days ago

Opinion
The point of pasture land
Re: 'Drought aid misguided' (Letters, Aug. 14)
Regarding cattle ranching and drought: to the two readers who responded regarding dried-up pasture land, while meat production does include environmental issues, (as does modern society) if there is a lack of rain for pasture, what makes the letter writers think that vegetables will grow in a drought?
Besides, the land given over to cattle is usually substandard for the growth of vegetables, that's why there are cows on it.
If one is to criticize those that feed us, it is best to get your facts straight.
Gary Billson
Winnipeg
The letter writers suggested that there are better sectors to provide aid to than the cattle industry.
As a former cattle rancher, I find their assertion that the cattle industry is unsustainable to be misguided. The beef industry is not taking high-value land for food production for humans, and the idea that it is a significant contributor to climate change laughable.
One of the most important ways to fight climate change is to eat local, not imported foods from the other side of the world.
Kerry Arksey
Winnipeg
On asset preservation
Re: Yet another hopeful patch on failing infrastructure (Editorial, Aug. 12)
The editorial categorizes remedial work on the Louise Bridge as 'kicking the can down the road for someone else to consider.
Really! Perhaps the writers aren't aware of the notion of asset preservation to defer future costs. There are several far more critical portions of Winnipeg's infrastructure constructed in the early 1900s that are still performing well. The Shoal Lake aqueduct, the Branch 1 aqueduct and the Tache pumping station have all been maintained and upgraded as appropriate to the benefit of the citizens of Winnipeg.
There are many aspects relating to the decision to repair instead of replacing an asset. Safety is paramount, followed by interruption of service, economics and construction sequencing. This might include integrating construction of a new bridge with the Phase 4 transit master plan.
This is a cheap shot at a soft target.
Tom Pearson
Winnipeg
Thinking things through
Re: 'Emissions and disagreement' (Letters, Aug. 11); What do we do now regarding emissions? (Think Tank, Aug. 7)
Thanks to Joe Leven for his comments on Robert Parsons' article.
Just to add: Parsons makes the baffling statement that lower-income Canadians paid more with the carbon price and rebate system (CPRS) than they received. When the CPRS was shelved, a personal income tax rate cut from 15 to 14 per cent was supposed to help with affordability. In fact a recent CD Howe Institute article compared the benefits of the CPRS with the tax rate cut. They found that the lowest-income group is worse off with the tax cut compared with the CPRS with a loss of about $528 for the year. The highest-income groups are much better off with the tax rate cut than the CPRS.
I write this not in the hopes that the carbon fee will be reinstated because it won't, but as a note to examine carefully what we are fed. In an effort to continue their enormous profits at the expense of our earth, fossil fuel companies and their representatives have been misleading us about climate change and its solutions for decades. As both writers said, think things through indeed.
Lori Bohn
Winnipeg
Another blow to Lake Winnipeg
The next time Republican politicians in Washington or Texas start pointing fingers at Canada over wildfire smoke, they should keep the following in mind as well.
It's been reported that two massive dairy farms planned just south of the border in North Dakota could deliver a devastating blow to Lake Winnipeg and its already fragile ecosystem.
The operations — one near Abercrombie Township south of Fargo, and another near Hillsboro south of Grand Forks — will generate hundreds of millions of litres of manure annually. That waste could flow upstream into the Red River, threatening to overwhelm one of the world's most endangered lakes and undo decades of restoration work.
Be it land, water or air, we share this incredible piece of this precious planet so both USA and Canada are responsible for looking after it for the generations of humans and animals that follow. What else needs to be said ?
Lois Taylor
Winnipeg
The complexities of reading
Re: U of W puts post-grad literacy education program on hold (Aug. 5)
In reading the article, I was reminded of my own experience in a University of Saskatchewan post-graduate reading specialist program during the early 1970s. One session in particular stands out — we explored the 'Great Debate' in reading instruction, then framed as phonics versus whole word methodology. Decades later, it's striking that the debate continues, albeit in new forms.
I've come to believe that the persistence of controversy in reading instruction stems from a simple reality: most people learn to read with relative ease, regardless of the method used. That ease can lead to the assumption that reading itself is not particularly complex. Yet, as with any system, complexity becomes apparent when it fails. When a student struggles to 'catch on,' the intricacies of reading acquisition come into sharp focus.
I recall attending a presentation by a neuropsychologist who began by essentially saying, 'I may be able to tell you which parts of the brain are involved in reading, but that alone won't help you teach kids how to read.' Many of us in the room — reading specialists — were disappointed, but it was a valuable reminder: teaching is an art, supported by science. Effective teachers are attuned to the individual needs of their students and adjust instruction accordingly.
As a former reading clinician and Reading Recovery teacher, I've worked with many children who struggle with reading. If I've learned anything, it's that each child presents a unique complexity that defies any one-size-fits-all solution. Promising simple answers to a deeply nuanced challenge does a disservice to both educators and students.
Edwin Buettner
Winnipeg
Canada must help in malaria fight
Many do not realize that the tiny mosquito has profoundly shaped and even directed human history. A carrier for a variety of diseases, like malaria, this pest has brought down armies and collapsed entire civilizations. It has even shaped human evolution with the emergence of the sickle-cell trait. It is the No. 1 animal killer of humans.
As it has in the past, it still wreaks havoc today. Each minute a child dies somewhere from malaria, even though it is both preventable and treatable. A few decades ago the world decided to fight back with the Global Fund, and malaria-related deaths have dropped by almost a third. A new, powerful mRNA vaccine has just been developed.
But then along came Trump and the collapse of U.S. funding. Two decades of battle with humanity's greatest enemy is now at risk of being forfeited, with countless more lives lost. This year is the year that funding is supposed to be renewed for this battle, but all there is now is uncertainty. It is critical that Canada pick up the torch dropped by the U.S. and carry on the fight. For humanity's sake.
Nathaniel Poole
Victoria, B.C.