Mailbag: Balboa Island story left out link to global warming

Re. “Flood risk: Bane of Balboa Island’s existence,” (May 5): I was surprised no mention was made of the reason the Federal Emergency Management Agency revised its flood maps — global warming.

FEMA’s conservative estimate of sea rise, according to many scientists and many scientific organizations, still points to FEMA’s effort to come to grips with climate change. Your article leaves climate change completely out of the discussion.

Climate change threatens to put billions of people at risk of devastation. The early effects of climate change are already affecting the U.S. and countries around the world, and our time to act is running short.

Numerous religious groups have come to understand the scientific consensus, that anthropogenic climate change may do irreparable harm to the biosphere upon which our modern civilization depends.In 2006, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Religious Partnership for the Environment jointly launched the Catholic Climate Covenant. This covenant has a five-element St. Francis Pledge the can be viewed online.

Today it is easy to find Catholics advocating for effective climate legislation that would cross international borders in the form of a revenue neutral carbon tax, a fee and a dividend plan. It is long past time for the Daily Pilot and Newport Beach to broaden the discussion and do as the bishops say.

Mark Tabbert

Newport Beach

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Suspicious of Hoag abortion ban

Robert Braithwaite, chief executive of Hoag Hospital, declares no elective abortions at the hospital. He says the hospital’s decision is based on medical, not religious reasons. Does anyone believe that?

Before the joining of hospital powerhouses St. Joseph and Hoag, elective abortions were commonplace at Hoag. But now with St. Joe on board, the story changes. The sisters are making the rules now, not Hoag.

Rob Macfarlane

Costa Mesa

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Remembering the island

Re: “Carnett: A bridge to the past”:

The April 24 column in the Daily Pilot by Jim Carnett, was a trip down memory lane for my brother Dennis Boyer and me. We lived on the Island, both “big and little,” growing up.

I remember the filming of “The Breaking Point” quite well and have watched the movie many times. Of great interest was Mr. Carnett’s mention of a friend he had when he was living there by the name of Ross, who lived on the Grand Canal. That is most likely my cousin Ross Kiester, who would have lived there during that time period.

I am also saddened by the fact that the bridge is to be retrofitted since it is etched in my memory from childhood. I plan to visit it soon before it is gone.

Carole Renfrow

San Felipe, Mexico