DRIVERS AND BICYCLISTS UNITE

I can relate to the situation in the article “Pedal Pushers” [May 10-16]. Some motorists may not realize that honking or driving too closely to cyclists may alarm the person on the bike (causing them to swerve, which may lead to a collision); others feel the need to intentionally scare people riding their bikes.

There are people, both cyclists and motorists, who think they have the right of way at all times. However, in the end we all just want to get to where we need to go as safely as possible. So perhaps we can all walk away from this article with a new perspective.

As a cyclist, I will not be so quick to assume that a motorist is intentionally trying to give me a hard time and run me off the road. Hopefully, people in cars will be more considerate to those on bicycles and give them plenty of space.

I would also like to comment on the topic of bike lanes. I am new to cycling and enjoy it very much, but feel as though I am forced to find routes that avoid high traffic areas that don’t have a bike lane. Unfortunately, some people may be hesitant to ride their bikes due to the lack of safe routes.

Having a series of bike paths and lanes may encourage more people to ride to work or wherever they need to go, which in turn would decrease emissions and increase fitness. With bike lanes neither traveler (car or bike) must contend for space on the road. Bikes lanes are not only beneficial for the cyclists, but make commutes safer, easier and more pleasant for all.

I urge the city of Seaside to do more to find a way to make this community friendlier for all types of commuters. —Jessica Sharkey | Marina

DON'T TRUST THE BLACK BOX

With regard to all the hoopla over the coming June election, I think people are overlooking a far more serious concern. And that is the undeniable vulnerabilities of the electronic Black Box voting machines currently in use here.

On March 9, computer science professor Avi Rubin from Johns Hopkins University, testifying before a Congressional Committee, concluded that “after four years of studying the issue, I now believe that a DRE [Direct Recording Electronic touch screen] with a VVPAT [Verified Voter Paper Audit Trail] is not a reasonable voting system.”

Also testifying was Noel Runyan, a leading accessibility advocate and technology engineer (himself a disabled person) who stated that “electronic ballot systems are inappropriate for use, because these systems make it impossible for voters to verify that their votes will be counted as cast.”

When the scientists and experts are telling us that these machines are not secure, and prone to malfunction, tampering and fraud—why is Monterey County still using these machines? More importantly, why would any voter actually use such a machine? I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m voting on a paper ballot. That’s my right and I’m choosing to exercise that right. —Larry Parrish | Carmel

FARTING TOWARD ARMAGEDDON

If there is one voice in the scientific world who I respect it’s Jeremy Rifkin. I read his first major book, Entropy: A New World View, back in 1980 and discovered a kindred intellect in him. Now Rifkin is once again adding his voice to the climate change debate and, like me, he’s sounding more rational than the pack-mentality majority.

Rifkin identifies rising CO2 levels as a possible factor in global warming, but also sees evidence that CO2 levels rise in parallel to rising temperatures, and is not necessarily causal of those rising temperatures. Rifkin also states that methane from the global livestock industry is complicit in rising temperatures (so my previous letter concerning farting ourselves into extinction is not a joke, even if the word “fart” makes people laugh).

But Rifkin expresses a concern of far greater ramifications than global climate change. That concern is of geo-political implications when the oil runs out within the next 50 years. When that occurs, America will not escape the total collapse of civilization.

When the oil runs out, all-out revolution is going to sweep America as the facade of our house of cards crumbles. It’s for this reason that I support our Second Amendment right to bear arms. We are going to need our guns to overthrow the totalitarian government that is going to evolve out of the depletion of oil. —Jeffrey Van Middlebrook | Pacific Grove