From:            Jordan Van Voast
To:                Commission-Public-Records
Cc:                stacy; Elizabeth Burton; Iris Antman; Peggy J. Printz; David Kipnis; Miranda Marti; Tom Barnard
Subject:           [EXTERNAL] attached public comment for Jan 12 Commission meeting
Date:              Monday, January 11, 2021 10:58:18 AM
Attachments:      Letter to Port Commissioners Jan. 12 2021.docx

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Dear Commission-Public-Records,
Please find attached a public comment for the Jan 12, 2021 Port of Seattle Commissioners
meeting,
Thank you,
Jordan Van Voast, M.Ac.
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Every single act of kindness makes all the difference in the world.
Jordan Van Voast, Licensed Acupuncturist
social entrepreneur, dreamer, he/him
CommuniChi Acupuncture Clinic
2109 31st Ave. S.
Seattle, WA 98144
206.860.5009
www.communichi.org
https://www.facebook.com/CommuniChi
CommuniChi on You Tube

Good afternoon Executive Director Metruck and Port Commissioners, 
I regret not being able to attend today's meeting online, but as a health professional, I'd like to add that
in these chaotic times we are living through, it's critically important that we all take mental health days
on a regular basis, allowing mind, body, and spirit to come into greater balance and thus meet our
professional responsibilities with greater wisdom and compassion for the long term benefit of all. 
I write to urge you to permanently cancel the T46 cruise ship terminal project, and to seriously consider
all possibilities for immediately reducing the Port's reliance on the cruise business revenue stream.
Most people are not aware of the concept of climate feedback loops, let alone the fact that the
existence of feedback loops are not factored into the much publicized target of limiting climate warming
to 1.5 degrees C, or the fact that the reductions proposed by the Paris agreements only give us a 50%
chance of meeting those targets, or that global emissions are still increasing, not decreasing. 
Recently, a glimmer of good news has appeared, as climate scientist Michael Mann has stated that the
current scientific consensus is that global temperatures can rapidly stabilize within a few years, once the
world reaches net zero carbon emissions. It was previously thought that this would take centuries.
However, as many ecologists have recently pointed out, it is fallacious to think that the 6th Great
extinction currently underway, is merely an issue of global warming. Biodiversity losses, soil, water, and
air degradation, toxicity issues, and so forth, represent a much fuller accounting of humanity's dire
predicament, and although nothing is certain, the accelerating pace of ecological breakdown signals we
may not have much time to prevent a rapid and chaotic unraveling of our current human civilization. 
I and many others have repeatedly pointed out the massive harmful impacts that cruise ships have on
the environment and marginalized communities and the reality that regardless of whatever
improvements to shore side infrastructure, or reducing plastic utensils on ships, etc. these impacts will
continue unabated given the limitations of fossil fuel combustion engines (including LNG), and the
massive impacts from millions of people taking elective travel holidays. We ignore these impacts at our
peril.
Please reflect carefully and act appropriately, 
Respectfully, 
Jordan Van Voast, M.Ac.