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Your letters for Friday, Aug. 24

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Diners can afford to pay an extra dollar or two

Re: “Province needs to show at least minimum sense,” column, Aug. 20

I always enjoy columnist Chris Nelson and most times agree with him. However, his article in Monday’s Herald, on what he believes are problems caused by the minimum wage increase is somewhat one-sided. How can anyone disagree with a minimum wage of $15 an hour? How can anyone expect a person to live on $15 an hour or less? It is unreasonable and unjust. I believe anyone who can afford to dine out and spend $25 or $30 or more for a meal could and would be willing to pay an extra dollar or two for their meal. That would not be a reason to stay home.

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The letter from the Alberta Federation of Labour’s Gil McGowan (Aug. 21) gives the other side and more probable reasons for the reduction in service sector jobs.

Wayne F. Hall, Calgary

Double standard on immigration

Re: “What has happened to free speech?” letter, Aug. 21

Let me get this straight. Milada Rysan writes that she “lived in an oppressive regime” which leads me to believe that she is an immigrant to Canada. Now she is protesting the Trudeau government immigration policy and “feels sorry for future generations who have to live with the consequences.” What am I missing here? Did she expect to be the last person to be allowed to migrate to our country?

Rob Butler, Cochrane

Olympic Games have environmental costs too

I believe a five-year-old in 2026 would rather be able to go outside and play. With record-setting temperatures, flooding, wildfires, smoke, drought and extreme storms (stronger tornadoes, hurricanes and monsoon-like rains) the chances of playing outdoors are being significantly reduced worldwide.

The Olympic Games have one of the highest carbon footprints of any event on the planet. Over 1.5 million people flew to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. You also have the carbon cost of building new venues where ever the Games are held and transporting people to and from the different events.

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Not too long ago, a TV commercial had an Olympian boasting about driving 600 kilometres a day to practice for some sport few people care about. If this is the kind of stupidity the Olympics inspire, we could do with a lot less of it.

Secondly, TV ratings showed that virtually no one under 30 watched the 2018 Olympics. These are the parents of that 2026 five-year-old. If the parents aren’t watching the Olympics, there is no way the kids are watching to be inspired. But they will be paying for them environmentally and with higher taxes.

Robert Clark, Calgary

Prime minister of platitudes

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau keeps repeating the same inane clichés on and on. But then we know our PM is passionate about platitudes.

After all, this is 2018 and we have evolved.

Louise Bonneau, Calgary

Carbon-trading that’s bad for the environment

B.C. and Alberta are engaged in a carbon-trading scheme of sorts, and it is to no one’s advantage.

Alberta sends carbon-rich bitumen to British Columbia which, when added to the atmosphere, contributes to global warming.

Global warming, in turn, produces warmer winters, which allow pine beetles to thrive, together with the longer, hotter, drier summers during which B.C.’s disease-stricken forests ignite.

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Prevailing winds spread this suffocating carbon smoke throughout both provinces, choking the tourism industry, impacting people’s health, threatening towns and destroying the livelihood of forest and fishing-dependent communities.

It hurts to think that the new normal for our children may be smoky summer skies, breathing masks and the eerie light of an orange sun.

Further investment in this perverse carbon-trading scheme, such as in the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, defies reason as it can only accelerate global warming and amplify the enormous economic, social and health consequences we are already experiencing.

Clearly, it’s time for change.

The cost of our stubborn reliance on fossil fuels has simply become too great a price to pay.

Mike Ward, Duncan, B.C.

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