Editor:
The gall of John Gleeson to declare that he has “had enough” of the climate change issue is mind-boggling to me. It should be no surprise to him that in the “past six weeks” the letters section heavily featured climate change: these were the weeks before, during and after which COP21 took place – the UN climate conference in Paris, at which Canada had a large presence and played an important role in reaching an unprecedented agreement.
Mr. Gleeson’s decision in regards to climate change makes me wonder: What if many of Coast Reporter’s readers started writing letters about the wars happening around the world? About abortion? About refugees? Would he eventually “have enough” of those topics, and the strong, opposing opinions that come with them, and decide they were redundant, too?
Regardless of whether people are writing in to support climate change, or deny it, it is important to foster healthy discussion about this topic. It is in fact one of the most important conversations we could all be having, right now.
It may be within your role to select the letters that you print, Mr. Gleeson, but I find your decision to cease printing all letters on climate change arrogant and irresponsible.
Your decision is effectively signaling to your readers that the climate change conversation is irrelevant and that those who discuss it, whether for or against it, are tiresome. Who are you to make that decision?
Georgia Cyr, Sechelt
