To the Editor: With the 47th annual observance of Earth Day just around the corner, this is a great time to explore more effective ways of slowing climate change and conserving Earth’s natural resources for future generations. A 2010 UN report charged animal agriculture with 19 percent of man-made greenhouse gases – more than all transport – and recommended a global shift to a vegan diet. A subsequent World Watch study placed that contribution closer to 50 percent. Meat and dairy production also dumps more water pollutants than all other human activities combined. It is the driving force in global…

To the Editor: There once was a flea who lived in a jar. The jar had a lid on it. Every day the flea would jump and he would hit his poor little head on the lid. One day the lid was removed and as the story goes, the flea only jumped to where the lid used to be. The flea’s habits never changed and it never left the jar even though its constraints were removed. Chester has a new front door. State Route 10 or West Hundred Road used to be a barrier for people who wanted to walk…

To the Editor: What would you do if a close relative died, leaving two pet cats and you were allergic to them? What if you lost your job, had your home foreclosed and had to move somewhere you couldn’t take your family’s pet cat? What if a neighbor moved, abandoning several cats who then appeared on your doorstep, hungry and cold? What would you do? You should be able to call Animal Control and, at the very least, be referred to some of the local private shelters or other organizations who might be able to help. No, Chesterfield Animal Control’s…

To the Editor: It was such an honor and great experience to serve as the 2015 Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Christmas Mother. Serving as ambassador for this wonderful organization allowed me to speak at many civic organizations, businesses, clubs, church and youth groups. Participating in five parades and being at an elementary school where we received 365 books along with hugs from the children to share with children less fortunate has to rank high on my list of favorite experiences. The generosity of our sponsors and donors who have contributed $216,000 to date is overwhelming. This total includes $54,000 from our auction…

To the Editor: My name is Karl Johnson. I am a Chesterfield resident and a business owner. I am a commercial developer. I would like to see the Board of Supervisors make some changes in the way Chesterfield County approves which Commercial Developers get on the Fast Track approval process. In my experience dealing with my County, it seems that the large corporations get all the attention (such as Kroger. Martins and Amazon). I know these projects bring a lot of attention and jobs but the real economic mover is small businesses. The ratio of large businesses to small business…

To the Editor: I agree that there is entirely too much negativity, hatred and anger in our country, but the majority of it is coming from the extreme Trumpet movement that I will assume is the Republican Party. I have never heard the threatening, screaming, lunatic behavior of the Trump supporters and the Cruz supporters. I didn’t have a problem with Republican ideology until the Bush era. But Trump has trumped them all. I look at his face and it screams of hatred. If this is the new Grand Old Party then we are doomed. People that I thought were…

To the Editor: I was reading Mr. Gray’s latest commentary “It’s Over” and found myself discouraged at the tone of the article and the division that Mr. Gray creates in an attempt to prove his point. Mr. Gray’s  notion  that today’s conservatism “has left America poorer, unhealthier, less united, and less secure than at any time since the aftermath of the Civil War” seems to ignore that conservatism has never had the governmental control that the progressive movement had during the last century and the first two years of the Obama administration.  The Democratic Party controlled 2/3 of the government for the first…

To the Editor: Well I see Mr. Gray’s interests have expanded from The Great Climate Change Hoax into attempted gun grabbing. His predictions in “It’s Over” (V. News, 12/09/15) are as crazy as the ones on climate. The goal is the same: big government control over every aspect of our lives. Despite much-publicized recent shootings, since 1981 violent crime in the U.S. has fallen from 594.3 per 100,000 people to 403.6 in 2010. Homicides have fallen from 9.8/100,00 to 4.8 in the same time frame. These are FBI statistics. Further, by the most conservative estimates, in the U.S. there are…

To the Editor: I enjoyed your piece “rail against trails may fail,” regarding the effort in the Board of Supervisors to enact a plan for providing access to more walking and biking trails in Chesterfield. I assumed that it would be voted down, based on the cheapness and resistance to change that I associate with the Board. Much to my surprise, the measure passed 3 to 2! Perhaps the high number of supporters enlisted by the “Bike Walk RVA” group carried some weight with the Board? Of course there were the usual howls of protest by the Chesterfield Patriots –…

To the Editor: While President Obama is pardoning two turkeys for Thanksgiving, every one of us can exercise that same presidential power by choosing a nonviolent Thanksgiving observance that spares a turkey’s life. And here are some good reasons: You can brag about pardoning a turkey – like Obama. You truly are what you eat. Who wants to be a “butterball?” Fruits and vegetables don’t have to carry government warning labels. You won’t sweat the environment and food resources devastation guilt trip. You won’t spend a sleepless night wondering how the turkey lived and died. Your body will appreciate a…