Loss of workplace diversity does serious harm

I am a federal employee who loves his job serving the American people. I have been employed during eight presidential terms and respect each of those presidents as being duly elected leaders and that has not changed this year. I recognize that all political leaders must make hard decisions that affect their constituents including crafting and supporting an affordable workforce that is dedicated, efficient and effective.

Nevertheless, I question the targeting of all employees focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility and the implication that the actions of these employees are counter to civil service and civil society (“Trump administration directs all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on leave,” Jan. 21). Removing or silencing employees who have devoted their lives to demonstrating the value of workplace diversity risks impoverishing the workplace. Equally, ignoring the barriers imposed historically and currently against many of our fellow humans will not only impact thousands of careers but will have a regressive effect on our abilities to work together and develop an essential glue of civil society, empathy.

More practically, thoughtful teachings on diversity in the workplace have been documented to increase cohesion and productivity through recognizing different modes of communication, conscious and unconscious biases and the origin stories and cultural drivers of the people with whom we accomplish tasks. A focus on under-represented audiences in the advertisement and recruitment of opportunities can bring increased talent to the workforce. Appreciating diversity makes sense on a moral level, sure, but also on the level of productivity and government efficiency.

I miss the leaders in my agency who have devoted their careers to helping us grasp and act on diversity, equity and inclusion and I hope to receive their inspirational teachings again soon. In the meantime, workers might honor them as voluntary “DEI partners” by sharing and receiving teachings, demanding fairness and accessibility in the workplace (still legal necessities) and reminding us of our strengths and failings as humans. These thoughts come from one anguished soul and are not meant to reflect, or vilify, the policies of my agency or other governmental offices.

— Jay Evans, Greenbelt

Coal-fired electricity is not the answer

A recent commentary in The Baltimore Sun by the CEO of the trade organization America’s Power calls for continued use of coal to meet Maryland’s electricity needs (“Maryland’s electrical grid reliability is in crisis,” Jan. 29). Burning coal for energy is a major environmental and health hazard — it releases sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury and other pollutants causing acid rain, smog and haze.

A recent study in the journal Science estimated that coal-fired power plant emissions from 1999 through 2020 led to 460,000 cumulative deaths in the US — mostly in the East. The recent rapid decline in sulfur emissions due to scrubbers and retiring power plants produced dramatic reduction in excess mortality. Between 2009 and 2012, the deaths attributable to coal-related aerosols fell from 25% to 7% of the aerosol-related deaths.

While some of these pollutants can be scrubbed out, removal of the carbon dioxide is impractical and this threatens Maryland’s and, indeed, the world’s climate. Regression to a dirty and inefficient fuel is not the answer and let’s not lose sight of the tremendous progress we have made on health and the environment. Wind, solar, natural gas and perhaps even nuclear are cleaner, safer, more efficient alternatives to coal for our electricity.

— Russell R. Dickerson, College Park

The writer is a professor of oceanic and atmospheric science at the University of Maryland.

Editor’s note

The Baltimore Sun is seeking nominations for its 10th annual Business and Civic Hall of Fame, recognizing individuals who’ve fostered transformational change in the Baltimore region. Email nominations by Feb.10 to talkback@baltimoresun.com with a brief description of the nominee’s accomplishments and background. We will announce the 2025 inductees in March, and honor them with an event and special newspaper section in June.