12/27 Letters: Let’s put flood pollution in perspective.
The front page story for Dec. 26, “CuriousNC- Pollution from Florence was worse than thought,” gave lots of numbers to alarm the reader. Let’s put those numbers into perspective with this N&O news item by Aaron Moody: “Florence dropped more than 8 trillion gallons of rain in NC, radar estimates show.” My professional life was spent teaching environmental engineering. Students are reminded that “dilution is NOT the solution to pollution” contrary to thinking of 100 years ago. Yet, for perspective on the impact of Florence, the concoction of 121 million gallons of wastewater into 8 trillion gallons of rainwater calculates to 0.0015 percent wastewater.
Localized percentages were probably higher, but consider the difficulty of preventing a treatment plant from being flooded. These plants are typically located at the lowest point in communities close by the outfall to the receiving stream. Local ordinances specify an acceptable risk of flooding by a flood-return period. The most rigorous we hear about is a 100-year flood. This is obviously a huge challenge for our coastal plain communities. Keep in mind that Hurricane Florence was estimated to be a 1000-year flood.. Are we as society still willing to accept this level of risk?
Francis A. DiGiano, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, UNC
Pittsboro
Room in the inn
This has been a wonderful Christmas as, through the Door Fund at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, I was able to arrange for 30 homeless, single women to stay at a Holiday Inn for Christmas Eve night and Christmas night. Parishioners also helped through donations to make “swag bags” of necessities for the ladies, and our Crafters for Christ Ministry made scarves and hats. But those two days passed quickly, and now the ladies face the reality of their lives without a home again. Please keep them and The Women’s Center of Wake County in your prayers. Raleigh does not have enough beds or affordable housing; Urban Ministries expansion from 30 to 75 beds is a year out; and the really cold weather is ahead. What is needed is some creative thinking and funds.
Barbara Molinari Quinby, director of Social Justice Ministries, HNOJ Cathedral
Raleigh
Bad parenting
Caving in to a 3-year-old who is having a temper tantrum because his parents said no to an expensive ball would be bad parenting. Caving in to a petulant 72-year-old president who lied about Mexico paying for a wall, lied about the need for a wall, and is having a temper tantrum because sane adults have said no to his wall would be bad governing. We need some adult Republicans in Congress to go to the president and tell him to stop with the tantrum and actually put America first rather than kowtow to his demands that are based on lies.
Albert Robinson
Raleigh
Help wanted
Twenty Republican senators and 53-54 Republican house members. Not sure of standing your ground with Rep. Mark Meadows and the Freedom Caucus, yet wary of being tarred with the Trump brush? Tired of partisan inquisitions of the president? Investigations of investigations? Talk of Impeachment?
Work with Democrats and independents in a veto-proof, bipartisan rollback of Trump’s worst abuses. Success guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, which provides that two thirds of the House and Senate, not the President, have the last word on national policy
Douglas A Johnston
Raleigh
Out of context
Duke University is considering renaming their Carr building, and Carrboro is considering changing its name because it was just recently realized that their namesake, Julian Carr, besides being a renowned philanthropist, was a white supremacist. George Washington used to own slaves, so should we not also consider renaming Washington, DC, or the state of Washington?
The only person who never said or did anything wrong was Jesus, and many people are offended by his monuments on public property.. Where will this frenzy end? Our error is re-judging historical people using current sensitivities which do not include the context of their times.
Larry Mobley
Hendersonville
Cane’s fan
Although I have been saying this for the past two years, the latest evidence has convinced me that Santa Claus is a Carolina Hurricanes fan. As he passed over the Triangle Monday night, instead of saying “ho-ho-ho”, I could clearly hear him saying “a-ho, a-ho, a-ho”. Happy Holidays everyone.
Joel Glassman
Cary