Readers write: Glacier memories, climate change and fossils, and Latin nouns
One reader wrote in about melting glaciers, with hopes that they will be a call to action. Another has questions about climate change.
One reader wrote in about melting glaciers, with hopes that they will be a call to action. Another has questions about climate change.
Glacier memories
One of my favorite vacation memories is driving Glacier National Park鈥檚 Going-to-the-Sun Road with a carful of friends.聽So I was instantly struck by the July 22 Monitor Weekly article 鈥淕lacier National Park ... without glaciers?鈥�
If, as correspondent Doug Struck suggests, the glaciers鈥� legacy is up to park visitors, let us hope the fast-dwindling ice fields become the 鈥渘ettlesome symbol鈥� of what we鈥檝e lost, 鈥減ricking our conscience as did the once-dying bald eagle and motivating action.鈥澛�
Perhaps that will lead us to stop the retreat and restore the glaciers as a key link in the mountain ecosystem.聽As park visitors and citizens, we must face climate realities.
Alan Willis
Portland, Oregon
Climate change and fossils
I was disappointed to read the June 24 Monitor Weekly article 鈥淗ow T. rex can make you think about the future,鈥� which reviewed the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History鈥檚 new fossil hall.聽
It was fine to learn of this impressive presentation of fossil remains of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals.聽But to connect it to a questioning of the speed with which most scientists say climate change is happening misses the point.
The past climate changes the hall describes came about from totally natural causes.聽The present climate change that scientists are warning about is brought about by man-made carbon emissions.聽It is drastically faster and leaves mankind little time to remove carbon from the Earth鈥檚 atmosphere.
Donna Mummery
Whanganui, New Zealand
Latin nouns
Thank you to Melissa Mohr for the very clear explanation of some commonly used Latin nouns in the June 24 鈥淚n a Word鈥� column, 鈥淐onfused by plural nouns? Blame Latin.鈥� I found myself mentally rehearsing the alumnus/alumni categories because I think I finally understand the different uses!
I do wonder about one of my favorite TV space androids.聽Is he a collection of advanced technologies, or shall I start thinking of this singular fellow as Datum?
Suzanne Montgomery
Spokane, Washington