RANT/RAVE: Week of May 6

Re: “Beer snobs are boorish…”, April 30, 2015

"It seems that any time the subject of beer comes up with a cute Caucasian female in her 20s or 30s, the words “Kronenberg Blanc” are usually uttered. "

So "cute" white women can't appreciate anything beyond mainstream beer? Yes, you have a lot of work ahead of you, indeed.

-Shannon Du Bois

Stephen Smysniuk touched on the problem with beer snobbery in last week's column but didn't really explain the actual solution. He, and any "beer snob", should indeed try every beer out there. That way he could steer the uninitiated or advertising-induced macrobrew drinker to a suitable microbrew alternative. "You like Kronenbourg Blanc? I've tried it and it’s okay but you really should try Hoyne's Summer Haze if you like that style of beer". Or, "you enjoy ? Certainly easy drinking, but next time it's a hot summer day consider giving Breakside Pilsner a try!" This doesn't denigrate your stylist's (or anyone else's) choice but uses your knowledge to steer her in what you, and I, consider to be the right direction. Cheers.

–Cameron

Re: RANT/RAVE: Week of April 23

If Tom Harris of the International Climate Science Denial Coalition is not ignorant, then he is a deliberate liar, which is worse. Anyone with a search engine, let alone a professed expertise in climate science, knows that the statement, “After 18 years with no global warming” is false. As for his red herring about pollution versus climate change, does Harris really not know that the main cause of pollution, as well as climate change, is burning fossil fuels? He likely does, but his job, and the job of his friends at various oily organizations such as the Friends of Science and the Heartland Institute is to sow doubt and confusion about the overwhelming evidence from around the world and over many decades for human-caused climate change — accepted by all the world’s reputable scientific organizations and academies, governments and even industry. Harris can’t even keep his story straight, arguing variously over time that climate change isn’t happening or that it is happening but humans aren’t responsible or that it is happening and humans are causing it but it isn’t dangerous. Here’s more about his unctuous efforts: DesmogBlog.com/tom-harris

–Ian Hanington, senior editor, David Suzuki Foundation

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