Letters

A Visionary for the U.N.

"Kofi Annan's conviction that the world community has to respond to genocide and human tragedies must become a global ethic." ROBERT E. GRIFFIN Forty Fort, Pa.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan shows courageous leadership in advocating humanitarian intervention in countries where innocent civilians are being brutalized [WORLD, Sept. 4]. He rightfully maintains that national sovereignty should not shield ethnic cleansing. Yet the world cannot rely on the military in every crisis. There are instances when disciplined and trained unarmed civilians have performed valuable peacekeeping roles. An international campaign is under way to organize a global nonviolent peace force. The U.N. should support such a force as another resource to call upon when humanitarian intervention is required. MEL DUNCAN St. Paul, Minn.

While Annan has a certain responsibility and accountability to member nations of the U.N. and the world at large, none of us can expect one human being to turn things around. The strength of the U.N. rests upon the willingness and commitment of all nations to dedicate themselves to that which will truly benefit all humanity. Conversely, the weakness and lack of success of the same body are largely the result of nations acting recklessly and being unwilling to bring about the unity and peace that are so needed and desired. VIC SALVO Sacramento, Calif.

Is it any wonder that Annan's "moral world view" "terrifies the Chinese," "unnerves the Russians" and "bothers the U.S."? Annan confronts some of the world's most evil men and governments with courage, dignity and compassion. Thanks to his father's advice ("Don't crawl"), the Kofi Doctrine that sovereignty is not a shield may well slow the killing in trouble spots around the world. Annan has only to bear up under accusations of being naive. FRANK BERTRAND Eugene, Ore.

By gingerly avoiding confrontations with President Clinton and Congress over explosive issues such as arms control, U.S. dues, Iraq sanctions, NATO forces in Kosovo, the Secretary-General seems to have become little more than an errand boy for the U.S. government. Mr. Annan, follow your father's advice: "Don't crawl." The future of the world may depend on it. THOMAS PRINDIVILLE HIGGINS Ventura, Calif.

I wish Annan's brand of enlightened visionary leadership were more prevalent today. I have the utmost respect for his bold vision in the face of his critics and for his faith in the ability of nations to resolve conflicts peacefully. I applaud TIME for extolling the virtues of one of the world's great statesmen. JASON FEHR Hershey, Pa.

Keeping the Faith

Richard Knabel misrepresented my presidency of Riverkeeper, the environmental organization that I founded, in saying I "was informed that the board would remove [me] from office" for reasons unrelated to Riverkeeper's hiring William Wegner as a consulting scientist [LETTERS, July 31]. Such an unwarranted aspersion could lead readers to believe I was guilty of some malfeasance. The undisputed facts are that I fired Wegner, on the grounds that he was a convicted environmental smuggler, on Nov. 22, a week after I discovered that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had hired him. Would a bank hire Willie Sutton or a school a pedophile? I then repeatedly promised that if Kennedy or his supporters ever rehired Wegner, I would resign. When they did so in June, I kept my promise and I kept the faith. ROBERT H. BOYLE Cold Spring, N.Y.

Saints Preserve Us!

In its quest to beatify a conservative Pope, the Roman Catholic Church keeps stubbing its toe on potential "saints" who lived under a dark cloud of racism--first Pius XII and now badly flawed Pius IX [RELIGION, Sept. 4]. Doesn't it seem ridiculous that grown men are digging up dead bodies and making new godlings? At the start of the 21st century, one might hope the church would come to grips with important issues, perhaps even re-examine its opposition to birth control, abortion and divorce. Those three matters alone would alleviate a great deal of suffering. If Pius IX is indeed a candidate for canonization, then Pope John Paul II's recent apology for the church's missteps over the centuries is at best lame and at worst only hollow words. RICHARD L. CRAWFORD Vineyard Haven, Mass.

I am happy to know that Pope Pius IX stood up against modernity. Read today's newspaper and tell me we are better off shedding the faith of the past for the license of the present. You can't. The media find it preferable to take potshots at a dead Pope. VINCE PHELAN Norwalk, Conn.

The church has enough saints and people of merit to last till the next millennium. Who will it canonize next? Benito Mussolini? LIA CHASEN East Norwich, N.Y.

The canonization of Pope Pius IX goes against the feelings of most people. We associate sanctity with heroines like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, not aristocrats at the top of the Catholic hierarchy who lived in golden palaces as kings. GIORGIO DI PRIMIO Bologna, Italy

The Big Arctic Meltdown

Isn't it time that all humanity woke up to the realities of global warming--something that scientists have recognized and warned about for years [ENVIRONMENT, Sept. 4]? After significant climatic change, the earth may be not as generous, richly diverse or hospitable as it has been in centuries past. What right do we have to threaten the existence of other species? Who are we to selfishly deprive future generations of the gifts of the earth? JANICE H. IANNELLI DI TOSTO Lincoln Park, N.J.

The current condition of patches of open water near the North Pole is not a new one caused by man-made influences or by this generation. Historical evidence documents the presence of crops in Greenland for a few centuries after it was settled by the Vikings, a millennium ago. These atmospheric climate changes occur naturally. The sky isn't falling, and we aren't permanently melting the polar ice. LOREN D. HAMLIN Tucson, Ariz.

Obviously the greenhouse gases are going somewhere. How can people say that the rising temperatures in the Arctic are just a natural variation in climate? Hello! Do they think that toxic gases have absolutely no harmful effects on the environment? How can people ignore what they are doing to the earth? MARIANNA HAGBLOOM Christiansted, Virgin Islands

Despite evidence of global warming, we humans will not change our ways in order to protect the environment. We don't change airline regulations until planes crash; we don't recall tires until people have died; and until the warming starts to affect us, we will still turn our back on environmental problems. JUSTIN KAR-JING LI Ottawa

Global warming is only one among many problems suffered by our planet. Unless we find a way to halt the out-of-control overpopulation of the earth, we are doomed. We are rich and wasteful, yes, but there are far too many of us, and the situation is getting worse each day. DOMINIQUE HUDELOT Vankleek Hill, Ont.

Your article on rising temperatures and the thinning of Arctic sea ice was an eye opener. It is time to realize that deposits of fossil fuels are nature's garbage dumps and that we need to think seriously of ways to cease using this garbage in our biosphere. To convert futile complaints about greenhouse gases into positive action, we should free all non-fossil-carbon energy technologies from taxes for five or even 10 years of active production and sales. There is nothing like the lure of no taxes to stimulate businesses to come up with creative solutions to "insoluble" problems. ARTHUR M. HOWARD Daettlikon, Switzerland

Who will make the major changes that are needed: the U.S., Germany or Japan? Developing countries, including giant China, where energy consumption has been a fraction of that in industrialized countries, say they have the right to use more energy now. Even the U.S. Senate is reluctant, for some elusive reason, to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which calls for a reduction in greenhouse emissions. By the time everyone has recognized the true seriousness of global warming, it will be too late to take action. KAY TOMORI Tokyo

Yours was one of very few articles in the nonscientific press that discussed the natural component of global warming. Indeed, according to the data derived from ice cores, it appears the earth keeps cooling and warming by itself and has done so since long before fossil fuels started being burned by humans on a large scale. Unfortunately, most people think global warming can be reversed if other sources of energy are used. This is a gross oversimplification. We should use our resources not to find ways to stop this natural phenomenon, but rather to discover ways to adapt to it. There is a great need for more objective education and more research funds to better predict future weather changes. EMMANUEL MAICAS Moncton, N.B.

Italians on the Road

Adam Levine of Los Angeles got it only partly right in his letter commenting on higher gas prices and pollution in Europe [LETTERS, July 24]. In Italy it's true that many people fight the $4-per-gal. gas price by driving more fuel-efficient cars. There are no smog-control devices on these vehicles, however, and a lot of them run on leaded gasoline. A significant number of Italians use motorinos, scooters and motorcycles for transportation--all of which are powered by two-cylinder engines that badly pollute the air. Also, Italian drivers ignore the fact that driving fast ruins fuel efficiency. Speed limits are exceeded everywhere. On the autostrada, traveling the maximum legal limit of 80 m.p.h. is dangerous if one does not constantly check the rearview mirror for fast-approaching cars that are invisible one minute and on your bumper the next. LINDA E. BREWER Vicenza, Italy

Beauty Beneath the Skin

Re your article "Face-Lift In A Jar," about new beauty products [BUSINESS, Aug. 14]: it's funny how millions are spent on facial lotions whose claims to rejuvenate are questionable. People tend to forget that the skin is an excretion organ. Healthy, good-looking skin is primarily a result of what physically goes into the body (for example, fresh raw fruit and vegetables) and not onto it. SAMUEL NIELSEN Oberuzwil, Switzerland

Single by Choice

Bravo for your story "Who Needs a Husband?" [SOCIETY, Aug. 28]. Many years ago, women were expected to marry; some marriages were even arranged. Now women have the freedom to choose what they want. Staying single isn't based on not being able to find Mr. Right. I think most of us are aware that everyone has flaws. It is a matter of knowing what we want and not having to put up with flaws that we just can't live with. Having a choice, instead of marrying to meet social standards, is an opportunity to live a fulfilling life. I've turned down three marriage proposals. Deciding what you want out of your life is truly empowering! LILIANNE VALENCIA Mexico City

Your story about how many women have decided they don't need a husband or a father for their children showed how far some female activists have gone. When youth, fun, well-being and comfort are their only concerns, it is easy for women to believe they are self-sufficient. But such an attitude reveals a lack of commitment and a surplus of selfishness. No doubt when these women reach the later years of life, they will realize that raising a family and sharing companionship with a partner of the opposite gender are blessings that make any difficulty worthwhile. MANUEL M. VALDES Mexico City

The Kursk Disaster

Russia behaves like an old lion trying to convince everybody that it remains as strong as it was in the past. It is common knowledge that the effectiveness of the Russian military forces has nothing to do with the myth of a powerful navy that President Vladimir Putin is trying to build [WORLD, Sept. 4]. Sailors and officers live under hard conditions. They are not paid for months, and their morale is not the best, even though they have to give their best 24 hours a day. Add the extremely difficult weather conditions in the Arctic Circle, and it was only a matter of time before a tragedy like that of the Kursk happened. GEORGE TASIOPOULOS Athens

We live in an age of spaceships, genetic manipulation, the Internet and all kinds of unbelievable achievements. How could we not find a way to supply oxygen to that doomed submarine? The Russian ego has again proved that human lives are seemingly not worth a kopeck. The Kursk disaster was simply murder by the state. Shame on Putin! DIPTENDU CHAKRABORTY Toronto

Isn't it amazing what ego and arrogance can do? A perfect example is the acceptance by Russia's leaders of the loss of innocent sailors aboard the Kursk despite numerous offers of help from other countries. WILBUR KARIUKI Nairobi

Russia clearly asserted there were no nuclear weapons on its ill-fated submarine. One can only ask, If there were none, what did the Russians fear would be found if Western rescue assistance were promptly enlisted? We don't know if British or American rescue attempts would have saved any Russian sailors; but they deserved that chance. MIKE RICKS Bobcaygeon, Ont.

The human tragedy of the Kursk is obvious, and Western nations have learned that since Russia cannot behave in an open and honest manner when faced with a humanitarian crisis, we would be foolish to expect anything other than a traditional Soviet attitude to political, economic and military issues from the Russian government. PETER G. WILSON Whitburn, Scotland

Let's not forget. The Kursk was no research vessel. It was a warship whose missiles at one time or another probably targeted many TIME readers. Although the loss of life is tragic, the world is a safer place without the Kursk. LARRY ROBERTS Winnipeg, Alta.

Isn't it ironic that Russia had to look to the Western powers for help when the Kursk's weapons were meant to destroy Western targets? And the way Putin reacted put a real black mark on his name. Once seen as a man of action, he remained aloof from the Russian people during this crisis and stayed on holiday. SARANG KALE Pune, India

Who's Afraid of Jaws?

Your sensationalized account of the shark attacks off the Florida coast only perpetuates the general public's irrational fear of sharks [AMERICAN SCENE, Sept. 4]. I have scuba dived and snorkeled in close contact with several species of sharks, including many hundreds of schooling hammerheads and silvertip reef sharks, and have seen only fear, wariness, curiosity or indifference on the part of the sharks. They are beautiful, awesome creatures that are being decimated by shark finners and purse-seine factory ships. DAVID MCCULLOH Cupertino, Calif.

Political Notes from All Over

Here at the beginning of the century, we have the two top Democratic candidates and the Republican presidential contender touting their religiosity [CAMPAIGN 2000, Aug. 21]. More worrisome, however, is the further contention that religion deserves a greater, rather than lesser, role in the body politic. Does this signal a new Puritanism, a return to politics of the Judeo-Christian tradition as interpreted by the politicians in power? Will our lives be governed by political leaders whose religious convictions we do not share? One can only hope that this is just more empty political rhetoric. JAMES BOYCE Skopje, Macedonia

Are George W. Bush's slips, his word manglings [NATION, Sept. 4], his inadequate knowledge of international politics and geography just owing to his having a bad day? I don't think so. It reminds me of some of the gaffes of former Vice President Dan Quayle. I hope Americans will not decide to elect a President who has similar dubious qualities. KURT E. SCHEWE Bad Hofgastein, Austria

Correction

Our story on the National Institutes of Health's new guidelines on human stem-cell research contained two errors [HEALTH, Sept. 4]. Under the guidelines, government-funded scientists will not be allowed to use early-stage embryos. They will be able to use material provided by private companies derived from embryos left over from in-vitro fertilizations. Also, contrary to what we said, there is no ban on using federal funds for fetal-tissue research.