In response to the letter about meat being the blame for the weather, let me say there is no evidence the storm, Sandy, and climate change have any relationship. (Note global warming was not working out so they changed to climate change.) The letter writer likes to use every issue to downgrade meat production and consumption.

He quoted a U.N. report that estimated meat consumption accounts for 18 percent of man-made greenhouse gases, but his World Watch magazine said it is closer to 50 percent. Not the big difference in numbers. One problem is the animals are producing the gas, not man, so how can it be a man-made gas? Second, the World Watch group is big on population control, which explains a lot.

According to the EPA, in 2007 greenhouse gas emissions from the entire agricultural sector represented less than 6 percent of the total U.S. greenhouse emissions in total C02 equivalent. They further stated that manure management facilities associated with livestock production (what the writer refers to as animal waste cesspools) account for less than 1 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions.

In the Bible, God mentions cattle favorably three times in the first chapter of Genesis as well as many other positive references. Cattle and other livestock are just doing what they were made to do, and if God didn’t want them to produce gas he would not have made them that way. For crying out loud, leave them alone.

Randall Armstrong

Tuscumbia

The letter “Meat to blame for weather” demands response. While the first paragraph of his letter may be accurate, the remainder is questionable.

The writer’s U.N. resources use numbers that are generally accepted by scientists worldwide. Those from a magazine published for a mere four years are not. His tirade about carbon dioxide seems less scientific than a rabble-rousing attack against those whose diet choices do not agree with his own.

One of his sources codifies his views in their mission statement.

Unfortunately, the letter writer’s demand that all shoppers pursue vegan foods at their local supermarkets shows a total lack of knowledge of the significant risk some of those foods have for human beings.

Specifically, the well-known, major risk the consumption of soy products has in development of breast and other hormone-based cancers. Oncologists worldwide warn patients to limit/eliminate the use of soy products — especially when there is familial risk of cancer.

The writer also fails to acknowledge the risk of nut allergies in increasing numbers of the world’s population. For those affected, even a minuscule bit of nut products can cause death.

While it is best to have a balanced diet that includes fruits, veggies and grains, care must be taken not to eat products which, while seeming innocent, may actually lead to cancer and/or death.

Nancy Palme

Florence

Hey there, TimesDaily. Don’t you know that Israel is our ally? Why do you keep running pictures and sob stories about Palestine in the Gaza? The suffering they are experiencing is the result of their own Islamic extremists — Hamas.

Both you and the general media are supporting the wrong side. Please remember that Israel is the victim. If Hamas is not stopped, the entire world will be its victim, including the United States.

Charlotte Manis

Florence