Email: letters@nowtoronto.com
U.S. conspiracies not so hard to imagine
Re Boston Bomb Conspiracies (NOW, April 18-24). John Semley writes as if he’s the only voice of enlightenment in the Infowars debate.
Hard to imagine, is it, the U.S. government raising any false flags to further curtail civil liberties when the president can already detain and execute anyone without trial?
Think of the sinking of the USS Maine before the Spanish-American War, and the Gulf of Tonkin incident during Vietnam.
With the collapse of the third tower on September 11, WTC #7, which conveniently housed the Securities and Exchange Commission and the evidence on the Enron scandal, it is hard not to be cynical about the reasons why the U.S. went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Martin Gagné
Toronto
We’re winning the eco war – who knew?
It’s great that you listed some positive examples of environmental wins in your Green Issue (NOW, April 18-24).
This will give some people hope. But contrary to the title, we are not “winning the eco war.” Nor do you mention the most obvious thing that people can do to live more sustainably: stop eating animals.
We’re “winning”? Most of us are lazy conformists, especially in our eating habits.
Why not talk about that?
Paul York
Toronto
Island Airport noise alert
Point 7 in Enzo DiMatteo’s story on Porter Airlines’ airport expansion plans (NOW, April 18-24) states that the CS100 jet’s noise levels “are comparable to the Q400 – which are just over the noise requirements of the tripartite agreement….”
The CS100 aircraft’s average noise levels are just above the Q400 aircraft’s (85.7 vs 85 EPNdb respectively).
The average takes into consideration all three noise levels: on approach, flyover and lateral. You can’t just report “on approach,” as that is not an accurate read of an aircraft’s decibel level. I also want to point out that your jobs-creation note is also very misleading.
Many GTA companies are part of the CSeries supply chain. With our current order book, we are forecasting that the CSeries value of business with GTA suppliers in 2015 will be more than $7.4 million (U.S.).
Marianella de la Barrera
Manager, Media and Public Relations
Bombardier Aerospace
Excellent adventures in veganism
Food critic Steven Davey writes in Grasslands Gets It (NOW, April 18-24): “Vegetarians aren’t generally the most adventurous diners – vegans even less so. Perhaps that’s why so many strictly veg restaurants serve little more than variations on tofu salad with a dairy-free vinaigrette?”
What on earth is this based on? I have been vegan for two and a half years now, and I’m a far more adventurous eater now than I ever was when I was an omnivore.
Davey’s comments are just nonsense based on veg-bashing stereotypes, and I actually find them quite offensive. I think they merit a published apology.
Arden Beddoes
Toronto
Praise from Cafe 668
Thank you to Steven Davey once again for the great write-up in your Best T.O. Veggie coverage (NOW, April 18-24). Yesterday was quite busy. All your write-ups are extremely helpful. I’d better prepare for a busy week ahead.
Hon Quach
Cafe 668
Sociological advice for casino boosters
I find it ironic that the same week in which casino advocates are making a big push (NOW, April 11-17), one of my own professional organizations, the International Sociological Association, just signed on to hold its 2018 World Congress in Toronto (again).
By and large, sociologists are not known as heavy drinkers or indiscriminate spenders, but they appreciate pleasant hotels and meeting spaces, interesting food, cultural offerings and a positive, interesting urban setting.
Only once have these conventions been held in Las Vegas. It was held in Caesar’s Palace. The general impression of Las Vegas was of an overdose of faked fantasy.
William Michelson
Toronto
Cycling for the 1%
Surely the real priority for cycling facilities – if you asked cyclists – would not be lockers and showers at City Hall (NOW, April 11-17), but safer road conditions.
Logically, the placement of facilities should respond to where we get hurt, and sometimes killed.
For around 30 years it’s been officially known that Bloor is a higher-risk route, and 20 years ago [it was deemed] the best place in the core for an east-west bike lane. But the city hasn’t even done the single bit of Bloor in the Bike Plan running from Church to Sherbourne.
Memo to progressives: don’t get sucked into big-ticket facilities serving 1 per cent of cyclists.
Hamish Wilson
Toronto
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