Eugene weekly., May 31, 2012, Page 4, Image 4

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TO THE EDITOR
CLEARCUTS STILL HAPPEN
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Northwest Alternative Health is now serving the Greater Eugene Area
I’ve met quite a few people in Eugene
who don’t realize that logging companies
in Oregon still clear-cut on public land
… well, they do. Last year, Governor
Kitzhaber and the State Land Board
approved a management plan that nearly
doubles the annual clear cut of the Elliott
State Forest. This year we stand to lose
another 850 acres of one of our last intact
coastal rainforests.
While Kitzhaber may claim that
this increase in logging benefi ts public
schools, he has also admitted that money
from logging state lands is “a drop in the
bucket” for Oregon public school funding.
Clear cutting ancient forests for “a drop in
the bucket”? So not worth it.
To quote Utah Phillips, “The Earth is
not dying, it is being killed. And the people
killing it have names and addresses.” The
people killing the Elliott State Forest are:
John Kitzhaber, Ted Wheeler and Kate
Brown.
Grace Warner
Eugene
END OF GROWTH
Gas prices in Oregon now average
$4.21 a gallon, the highest they’ve been
since July 2008 and are between $4.18 at
Costco and $4.59 at HP Car Wash around
Eugene. We are still reeling from what
these prices did to our economy back in
‘08, with the SGS unemployment rate
still at 22 percent, and the Eurozone still
crumbling, with Greece prepared to leave
the Euro.
What we are witnessing is “The End
Of Growth,” which is also the name of
two new books about peak oil by ecologist
Richard Heinberg and economist Jeff
Rubin. All major recessions experienced
in the U.S. after the second world war
followed sudden oil price hikes, fi rst
in 1973 and 1979, then in 1980, when
prices reached $40 per barrel, and oil
consumption fell from 17 million barrels
a day down to 15. The rise to $147 in July
’08 was half again higher even adjusted for
infl ation, and sent oil use collapsing from
21 million barrels a day down to 17, and it
is still there! World oil production has not
4
MAY 31, 2012
EUGENE WEEKLY
grown at all in seven years, and according
to Robert Hirsch, the plateau will end and
long decline will begin in 0 to 3 years, and
“there will be chaos.”
World exports have declined by 5
million barrels a day since 2005, and more
of this is going to other importers. The
U.S. probably won’t import any oil at all
by 2020. We need to reverse population
and economic growth.
Zachary Moitoza
Eugene
GUN OPEN CARRY
There is no more staunch a defender
of second amendment rights than yours
truly. However, with those rights come
responsibility and common sense. The guy
who insists on open carry in a downtown
setting [EW Blogs 5/23] exhibited little or
none of either.
Sure — he was exercising his legal
right, but I have to ask: Why? If he feels
he needs to carry a weapon he should get a
concealed carry license. They’re insanely
easy to get in Oregon — not like the old
days where you had to actually demon-
strate competence with your weapon and
an understanding of the laws and conse-
quences.
You asked, who came off looking bet-
ter in that encounter? Defi nitely the two
police offi cers.
Jerry Ritter
Springfi eld
SMART METER RISK
In spite of poll data indicating opposi-
tion to smart meters being installed in the
EWEB service area, the “public” utility
seems to be going full-steam ahead.
Apparently people are going to have
to make it clear that this is not something
wanted. The logic of even some EWEB
commissioners is “Well, I have wi-fi
exposure, so I cannot object to more
RF microwave exposure.” This position
makes no sense — actually, I had dental
X-rays the other day, and that does not
mean I want more today for no good
reason.
Here is a way to picture the risk not
evaluated. If installed, all the meters must
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