Letters to the editor: Climate change, COVID-19 and mental health – Mountain View Voice

Dangers of climate change

I would like to thank Fausto D'Apuzzo and Lanier Poland and the editors of the Mountain View Voice for this opinion piece ("'Cultural antibodies' to help fight climate change," April 25).

They have done a great job of outlining the dangers of climate change. This bill in Congress, HR 763, will actually benefit the economy and create jobs.

And when people talk about cost, the cost savings will be enormous compared to the cost of the destruction from sea level rise and many other effects of global warming. And even if that were not true, how can you even put a price on the future of humanity and the future of the planet? It is ludicrous to talk about cost as an impediment.

We must never give up, but instead push harder than ever. We must only vote for candidates not corrupted by the fossil fuel lobby and do everything possible to achieve the necessary political action.

Joyce Waterhouse

Pasadena

Coronavirus and mental health

In the midst of COVID-19, the topic of mental health has become increasingly important. As people are socially isolated, facing financial losses, and navigating loss of jobs, many mental health issues are likely to become more prevalent. Dr. Joyce Chu chose a very relevant time to lead a webinar on suicide prevention.

As a case manager who supports foster youth with mental health diagnoses, I have found that it can be challenging to find the best words to use and when asking someone about their thoughts of suicide. In these uncertain times, it is especially important to be aware and ask questions about our clients and loved ones' mental health, and to know the language to use when discussing suicide.

Erica Van Skike

San Jose State University social worker

The Voice will publish letters to the editor online every weekend while the publication of our print edition is suspended. Send letters to letters@mv-voice.com by Thursday at 5 p.m. Letters must be signed and no more than 300 words long.

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Letters to the editor: Climate change, COVID-19 and mental health - Mountain View Voice