18 minute read
Climate alarmism is not based in reality
To the Editor:
The opinion pages of the August 18 edition of your excellent paper should be required reading.
Chris Cox’s editorial tells it like it is, pulling no punches. Kudos to him. Mr. Wirth’s rebuttal to Mr. Gaston’s letter of the previous week dealt with the misinformation in the aforementioned letter and echoed my own thoughts (if only I had been able to organize them as eloquently as he). Scott McLeod’s editorial was proven correct by Mr. Wirth’s letter. Print the opposing views to stimulate discourse.
Finally, Guest Columnist Hite’s piece on the fall of Afghanistan was also right on point.
Keep up the good work.
John Acuti Maggie Valley
Maskless, unvaccinated bear a responsibility
To the Editor:
In the Aug. 11 edition, a letter from a Franklin man was posted in both print and electronic editions of The Smoky Mountain News. In addition to false information, the writer wants to absolve the unvaccinated from any accountability about the current pandemic.
The writer claims that 99.7% of those who get COVID achieve a full recovery. This is false. The fatality rate in the US for those who get COVID is currently just under 2% according to ourworldindata.org. That means that for every 50 to 60 people who get COVID, one dies. Also, according to several studies, between 25% to more than 30% of those who have COVID become “long haulers” who have a variety of symptoms from shortness of breath to “brain fog” for months after they supposedly recover. Does being concerned about contracting COVID sound like fearmongering?
Then there was the contention that masks don’t work because they didn’t in 1918. This is just plain stupid. In general, the data clearly show that masks reduce spread of COVID, but not all masks are created equal. Cloth masks and bandanas are not as effective as the N95 and KN95 masks, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Then there are the unvaccinated. They are largely responsible for the continuing spread of the virus, especially the new Delta Variant. They are the vulnerable pool of individuals susceptible to infection where the virus can mutate as it spreads. The vast majority of individuals currently spreading and getting infected are the unvaccinated who refuse to wear a mask.
The maskless and unvaccinated are not just making a “personal decision” about their own heath. They are choosing to put everyone they come in contact with at risk. No, I will not “lay off” the unvaccinated. They are accountable for the continuation of the pandemic and its restrictions. As someone with an immunocompromising condition, they are the reason I now still need to protect myself from them by wearing a mask. Norman Hoffman Waynesville
Cawthorn should think before he speaks
To the Editor:
For many years I served as a Child Medical Examiner for Haywood County. I was also a founding member of KARE’s Child Abuse Task Force. Along with law enforcement, the Department of Social Services and mental health, I participated in the evaluation, investigation and at times prosecution of hundreds of cases of alleged, and actual, child abuse — physical, psychological and sexual. It was a difficult but necessary job.
So I was pretty disgusted but not really surprised when our local congressman, Rep. Madison Cawthorn, publicly denounced people who advocated that school children wear masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19. He declared they were guilty of child abuse.
I believe I know a lot more than this inexperienced young man about child abuse. There may be legitimate questions about the usefulness, safety and comfort of mask wearing for school children. But, Mr. Cawthorn owes an immediate apology to the members of the Haywood County, Henderson County and Swain County school boards and all the other public officials who have made the difficult decision to move forward with masks mandates.
Issues like masks and vaccinations should be discussed with decency, drawing upon current verifiable medical knowledge. Dragging the discussion into the gutter is unworthy of any public official.
In Mr. Cawthorn’s recent letter to The Mountaineer, he condemned a letter writer for criticizing his response to the terrible flooding in Haywood County. I agree that now is the time to pull together and help our neighbors and not make political attacks. This means we pull together whether it’s dealing with the floods or combatting the pandemic. Child abuse is a terrible problem in our society. Accusing public figures of child abuse for considering a mask requirement is a new low. Child abuse is not an issue to misuse for making political statements to score cheap media headlines.
Climate alarmism is not based in reality
The alarmist rhetoric and proclamations found in Mary Jane Curry’s recent column published in The Mountaineer, “A Life Or Death Matter,” (Aug. 15) are certainly worrisome. The good news is that they are completely detached from reality. Don’t take my word for it. Instead I encourage Ms. Curry and other climate alarmists to read Unsettled, a new book released this year by Steven Koonin, who served in the Obama administration as the undersecretary for science at the Department of Energy.
In his book, Dr. Koonin debunks the apocalyptic arguments made by activists like Ms. Curry. As Dr. Koonin points out, heat waves are no more common today than in 1900, the warmest temperatures in the U.S. haven’t risen in 50 years, there is no detectable human impact on hurricanes, the Greenland ice sheet is not shrinking at an increasing rate, and, most importantly, the economic impact of climate change is negligible. What’s more, despite the recent high-pro-
Patrick Gleason Guest Columnist file fires in California and Australia, Dr. Koonin points out that wildfire activity has declined since 2003. Ms. Curry touts solar as a cure all without acknowledging the dramatic increase in mining activity that would be required to produce more electricity from solar and wind. Nor does Curry address the fact that solar and wind energy are extremely land intensive and, as such, logistically incapable of powering a modern economy. “No amount of marketing could change the poor physics of resourceintensive and land-intensive renewables,” explains Mike Shellenberger, founder of the Environmental Progress, a Berkeley-based non-profit, who was named “Hero of the Environment” by Time Magazine. “Solar farms take 450 times more land than nuclear plants, and wind farms take 700 times more land than natural gas wells, to produce the same amount of energy.” Ms. Curry says she wants to “stop pipelines and fracking.” Yet horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, by increasing the use of natural gas at the expense of coal, have done more to reduce carbon emissions in this century than any government program ever dreamt up by environmentalists.
Contrary to the doom and gloom spread by Ms. Curry, the fact is that climate-related deaths have plummeted over the past century, despite a rising population and emissions. For the past 100 years, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations rose from approximately 305 parts per million to more than 400 ppm, while global average temperatures rose by about 1°C. However, as the below chart illustrates, a person’s risk of losing their life in a weather-related disaster has declined by 99 percent during this period.
“In other words, despite there being many more people and lots more stuff in harm’s way, the relative economic impact of extreme weather is decreasing,” said Marlo Lewis, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. “It is difficult to reconcile that trend with claims that ours is an ‘unsustainable’ civilization.”
Unsettled and the data displayed within highlights some uplifting facts that contradict Ms. Curry’s catastrophic narrative. This includes the fact that the number and severity of droughts are not rising, nor are the frequency and severity of tornados. A review of the data in Unsettled also demonstrates that the rate of sea level rise is not increasing, but global crop yields are.
Contrary to the environmental apocalypse predicted by Curry and others, in reality many aspects of the environment are improving, even with a growing population and economy. Ms. Curry would do well to stop scaring people and instead educate herself on the science and actual historical record. While the good environmental news listed here won’t garner attention and clicks as well as Ms. Curry’s alarmist rhetoric, it has the benefit of being based in fact. (Patrick Gleason, a resident of Haywood County and Washington, D.C., is vice president of state affairs at Americans for Tax Reform and a senior fellow at the Beacon Center of Tennessee. pgleason@atr.org.)
Kindness is my religion
A conversation with Oliver Wood
(photo: Joshua Black Wilkins)
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
When the entire music industry shutdown for the foreseeable future in March 2020, many artists and bands didn’t know what to do with themselves. For most, all they’d known for years, perhaps decades, was rolling down the road to the next town, to entertain a raucous audience in a packed venue.
For Oliver Wood, lead singer and guitarist for Americana/indie-folk juggernaut The Wood Brothers, he decided it was high time to put down the guitar and pick up meditation.
“I started meditating every day when the pandemic started. And I’ve learned so much for that — just being forced to sit still,” Wood said modestly. “And it’s this feeling that I want to keep when life opens up again. How can I retain this feeling of stillness and being in the moment? I hope we can all remember that positive part of it, how important it is to for your quality of life to just slow down once in a while.”
Through his daily meditation sessions, Wood began peeling away the sometimesheavy layers of not only the creative spirit, but also the expectations of being an internationally known and acclaimed musician — days spent alone and away from family, nights atop stages in rooms filled with new faces, all eyes aimed at you and what melodic magic you can conjure with a single chord strum or a mesmerizing lyrical phrase.
Between his meditation and down time at home with his wife and kids last year, Wood began constructing his debut solo album. At its core, “Always Smilin’” (Honey Jar/Thirty Tigers) is a celebration of life, with Wood calling up old friends to collaborate with in the studio (including the likes of Susan Tedeschi, John Medeski, and Hiss Golden Messenger’s Phil Cook).
Released in late May, “Always Smilin’” is an ode to optimism, to being present, to subscribing to the idea of “the now,” and to continuing the pursuit of people and things that spark the fire of love and possibilities within your heart and soul — onstage and off.
Smoky Mountain News: You had been working on some of these new songs before the shutdown, but would this solo record still be on the shelf if the shutdown hadn’t happened?
Oliver Wood: It’s pretty likely. I’m not a great multi-tasker. I’ve learned between tours to just try to be present, be with my family, not work too hard on other stuff.
So, although I had started some of this stuff before the pandemic, I really didn’t have a goal in mind other than to be creative outside of The Wood Brothers a little bit, just to stretch my wings and collaborate with other
Want to go?
Singer-songwriter Oliver Wood will perform at the Mountain Song Festival, which will be held Sept. 10-11 at the Brevard Music Center.
Other stage acts will include Mavis Staples, Steep Canyon Rangers, Town Mountain, Charley Crockett, and more.
For more information or to purchase tickets, click on www.mountainsongfestival.com.
people. That was the goal — to connect with other people on a creative level and do it sort of for fun.
It wasn’t until the deep into the pandemic where I actually finished one of those songs and released it, finished another one [and released it]. I was like, “Oh, this is fun.” And I just thought I might release a few more. At some point, it just made sense for an album. It gave me a goal to work on while nothing else is happening. That’s kind of how it came up.
and so sad. But, at the same time, it’s meant to uplift. It’s this weird dichotomy.
OW: Yeah. That’s something I love about music — even if it makes you sad, you want to listen to it, [where] it’s not a bad thing to feel sad. It’s more about pushing that button and it feels good.
Sometimes being sad is like connecting with something that you need to connect with, and then eventually it ends up being a good thing, a happy thing. I’m not saying there’s a bunch of sad songs on the [album], but when there is a topic that does kind of strike a nerve like that, it’s not a bad thing.
SMN: And that’s the key to your songwriting — connecting and showing solidarity to the listener.
OW: Absolutely. And you’re sharing something universal that basically just connects you [to another human being]. That’s the thing — connecting to what makes you feel good, ultimately, even if you’re connecting about something that’s depressing.
SMN: Well, and it’s that irony of the last year, you know? Even though we’ve all been so disconnected, at least physically, it really does circle back to that idea of human connection. It also justifies why we love live music — it’s not just entertainment, it’s a healing force.
OW: Absolutely. And I’ve got to say, I think about this a lot and love to mention it. I think that all musicians, after years of doing it, where kind of the charm and all the attention, all the exciting travel and whatever, all that stuff kind of wears off and some days you’re like, “What the hell are we doing out here on the road? We could be home with our families.”
And then something happens. Somebody mentions [to you] that your music has these healing qualities or that it got them through a tough time or made them happy. You realize, “Oh yeah, this is important work.” That we’re not just spinning our wheels out here because we’re tired of sitting on buses and airplanes.
SMN: You’ve had this incredible career creating music, touring and interacting with people from all walks of life. What has the culmination of that experience, thus far, taught you about what it means to be a human being?
OW: I always come back to connectedness, connection and connectedness, and I just feel like that’s what being a human being is about. That doesn’t completely mean being connected with other people, although that’s mostly what I think keeps us sane.
But, being connected with yourself. That’s where the meditation thing has really helped me, and I’m sure I speak for a lot of people. That’s where, if you have a little bit of discipline about it, you can sort of stay connected with yourself and it makes it a lot easier to stay connected with other people.
Ultimately, I feel like we all are at our happiest when we’re connected with other people, which is why the lack of live music and venues and people being together in small or large groups has been painful, you know?
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Charlie Watts.
Oh, Charlie, Charlie, Charlie.
Charlie Watts. Drummer of The Rolling Stones. The backbone of rock-n-roll. Gone last Tuesday at age 80. The engine in the muscle car that is (or was, sadly) the Stones. Teddy Roosevelt famously said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick — you will go far.” And I think that sums up Charlie Watts.
There was no better drummer. The key to the Stones was that Watts sat in the pocket, anchoring the greatest rock band ever, like a park bench with guitarist Keith Richards and lead singer Mick Jagger this whirlwind unfolding before him — as if two balloons floating in the breeze, but always safely tied to that park bench.
Watts wasn’t flashy. He didn’t have to be. Because he had the most important thing in being a musician: groove. You could set your watch to his timing. The swagger was undeniable, the essence of cool.
In the beginning (and forever more), Watts was a jazz cat who was roped into a rock ensemble, launching the wildest adventure in rock music. My all-time favorite drummer, a founding member of my all-time favorite band. Long live Charlie Watts. Bravo, my brother. Bravo.
In my world, the finest rock band ever will always be the Stones. Nobody even comes close. Sure, The Beatles were the greatest “band” of all-time, but the Stones were the top of the mountain in terms of real deal, nitty gritty, dark and dirty rock-n-roll.
The Stones always have and always will “do it” for me. They are my keepers of the flame of rock music — past, present, and future. They set the bar, set the tone, set the trajectory for rock since forming in 1962. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Stones rolled through at a time and a place (a crossroads, if you will) of culture, politics and art (and fashion) that was so incredibly serendipitous, it’s almost mind-blowing, to be honest.
The most life-changing concert of my entire existence (and probably the foundation of why I became a music journalist) was seeing the Stones for my 18th birthday (Feb. 5, 2003), with the show on Jan. 8, 2003. The Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.
Growing up on the Canadian Border of Upstate New York (about 45 minutes from Montreal), I begged my mother for a ticket to the Stones. Working in the grill at the local McDonald’s at the time, I didn’t make (or have) enough money to purchase the expensive ticket.
But, there it was, right under the
HOT PICKS
1The inaugural Sylva Pride celebration will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, at Bridge Park in Sylva.
2Concerts on the Creek will conclude with a performance by SKA City from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3, at Bridge Park in Sylva.
3There will be a special comedy showcase fundraiser for flood victims at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, at Mad Anthony’s Taproom in Waynesville.
4Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Grains of Sand (soul/beach) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4.
5The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Russ Wilson & Hank Bones (swing/jazz) at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4. Christmas tree — a Stones ticket for Montreal. My mother’s best friend had planned on going, but something had come up and she needed to unload the ticket. The melodic stars of my desires had aligned.
There I was, age 17, driving across the bridge over Lake Champlain from Rouses Point, New York, to Burlington, Vermont. Part of the ticket purchase was a bus ride with other Stones freaks from Burlington across the border to Montreal. The whole way up and back was a ferocious, notorious North Country snowstorm. Slow and steady in the bus along the highway, eventually parked outside of the Bell Centre.
I was all alone at the gig. I didn’t know anybody on the bus and didn’t run into anyone familiar at the venue. A curious, mischievous teenager left to his own devices (hence it’s 18 and over to drink, but the beerstand folks didn’t ID me when I purchased a Molson Canadian draft). The ticket led me up stairwell after stairwell to the nosebleed seats. But, I didn’t care. I was so damn thrilled to be in the same space and bubble of energy as the Stones.
Before the band went on, I snuck by security and was able to access the uber-expensive floor seats. I kept moving further and farther along, stealthily landing around Row 5 of the floor alongside the catwalk. Just as I realized where I was, the Stones came on. Melodic chaos. Blinding lights and sound. Razor-sharp guitars. Keith. Mick. Charlie. Ronnie. I was in fuckin’ heaven.
Keith then rolled down the catwalk, to which I extended my hand up and he slapped it. I was stunned. Then, Mick stood on the catwalk right in front of me and performed “Brown Sugar,” the whole massive arena going “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Woo” all around me.
Most of the show (the “40 Licks” tour) was focused on the “Exile On Main Street” album, which, to this day, remains my favorite album. Pure rock. Pure soul. A sonic and sensory overload. A true masterpiece. I walked out of there forever changed. My life had to be (and always will be) around music, especially when performed live. That Stones show was 18 years ago. And yet, I still chase the magic felt that night.
A couple years later, as a sophomore in college, I wrote an essay for my media culture class debating who was the greatest rock band. I presented an argument over several pages as to why the Stones deserved that honor. The professor gave me an A+ on the paper, saying it was “a convincing argument.” Looking back, it was the first piece I ever wrote about music. And the road goes on forever, eh?
And as I type wildly away at this column, “Exile On Main Street” is blasting from the stereo. It has stood the test of time as the rawest, dirtiest, most in your face rock-n-roll album of, well, rock-n-roll. Shit, the album is still ahead of its time. This is truth.
Every song still stands on its own. The whole chaotic back story of its creation. The recording process involved. The utter melodic beauty. The social, political and economic climate of that time and place put to vinyl. Sheesh. It’s all there, and then some. Rock on.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
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