Here’s why you should vote for Bernie
Why Bernie?
Honesty: What other politician states their agenda is impossible without millions backing them? Bernie? Leading the 99 percent to take back their government. No ties to Wall Street, his campaign financed by millions of average citizens averaging $27.00 per person. For three decades his agenda has been unchanged, fighting for that 99 percent.
Perspicacious: He voted against the most devastating debacles in our modern history, the Iraq war and debilitating trade agreements.
His agenda: Focused on absolute basics affecting everything else. Breaking the hold of money in politics, the domination of big banks on economy, a policy of peace, not war. Climate change . Already apparent, if not addressed now posterity has a dismal future, say 97 percent of the world’s best scientists. Incrementalism won’t work.
Integrity: No mud slinging, he focuses on issues delineating policy differences.
Backing his agenda, perhaps our 99 percent, planet, posterity have a future. Otherwise, it’s dubious at best.
Gordon Wilder, Highland
Consider giving up meat for Earth Day
With the 47th annual observance of Earth Day just around the corner, this is a great time to explore more effective ways of slowing climate change and conserving Earth’s natural resources for future generations.
A 2010 UN report charged animal agriculture with 19 percent of man-made greenhouse gases — more than all transport, and recommended a global shift to a vegan diet. A subsequent World Watch study placed that contribution closer to 50 percent. Meat and dairy production also dumps more water pollutants than all other human activities combined. It is the driving force in global deforestation and wildlife habitat destruction.
Last fall, England’s prestigious Chatham House declared that reducing meat consumption is critical to achieving global climate goals. A report from Oxford University found that global adoption of a vegan diet would reduce greenhouse emissions by two thirds. The 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has recommended reduced meat consumption and an environmentally sustainable diet.
Just as we replace fossil fuels with wind, solar, and other sustainable energy sources, we must replace animal foods with the more sustainable vegetables, fruits, and grains. Being mindful of this can help us make better choices at the supermarket.
Manny Andreas, Merrillville
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