letters
TO THE EDITOR
The Shedd Institute
www.theshedd.org - 541-434-7000
Second, the illusion that shale gas
fracking has given us a 100-year supply
of natural gas and therefore we can shift
from coal to gas for electricity. Fracking
wells are not only toxic, they also rapidly
deplete, much faster than conventional gas
wells. What will the coal and gas industries
do when the shale gas bubble bursts, likely
during Obama’s second term?
One group rallying environmentalists
against the alleged threat of coal exports is
Sierra Club. It was revealed earlier this year
that Sierra took $26 million from Chesa-
peake Energy, a leading gas “fracking” com-
pany, to fund its “Beyond Coal” campaign.
I’ve used solar electricity for more than
two decades; it is great but it’s not going to
replace our current consumption.
Environmental groups that claim
seamless transition is possible from
coal, oil, natural gas and uranium to a
renewable energy future have ignored
depletion of non-renewables needed to
build solar panels and wind turbines. They
also urge us to support politicians who
promote highway expansion, clearcuts and
continued wars as long as we get token
gestures that do little to protect the planet.
Instead, they should teach people to grow
food to reduce energy consumption.
Mark Robinowitz
www.oilempire.us/peak-coal.html
Eugene
EPUD MIS-DIRECTION
In a Register-Guard article June 27
Emerald PUD Board Director Patti Chappell,
whose phone address is outside the district,
was quoted as saying “The world’s going to
hell in a handbasket.” After observing this
board for the last year and having been a
board member, it appears that the majority
of directors are not directing, but following
the Lambe. That would be Frank Lambe,
the general manager, who is driving the
handbasket without adequate direction from
the majority of the board.
On May 24 at an Emerald PUD coffee
chat, our local elected board member Bruce
Pilling stated that Emerald was better off
now than it had ever been before. I asked
for details to support this statement. None
were provided.
On May 8 at the Emerald Board meeting
former congressman Jim Weaver stated that
he felt that there was too much secrecy and
everyone should know if we are making
or losing money. Also at the meeting was
the annual audit. The auditors said it was
a clean audit and strong year in earnings
with available cash, at the end of the year,
of $11,392,961. It was so good that the
employees were given a 3.25 percent raise.
Now I read, Emerald is projected to loss
$1 million in 2012, and the Lambe solution
is to raise rates again and reduce service by
eliminating 10 jobs. It would make much
more economic sense to change the driver
of the handbasket and a couple of the mis-
directors in the next election.
Ron Davis
Cottage Grove
GREENHILL KILLS
Anne Harris’ claim [letters, 6/28] that
Greenhill does not kill animals with treat-
able conditions is totally untrue. Greenhill
kills some ringworm and some neonatal
kittens. After years of denying they killed
any treatable animals at all, a current
Greenhill employee admitted in an open
forum on Facebook they do.
Greenhill claims to be No Kill. The
killing of kittens and healthy senior animals,
the killing of animals with treatable skin
and dental conditions, and killing healthy
feral cats exclude them from that honor.
They are not transparent. When asked
by an advocate to release copies of the fi les
on fi ve animals they recently killed, their
response was “We don’t have to.” Hardly
the response of an open, transparent and
accountable facility, is it? People with
nothing to hide, hide nothing. Greenhill’s
numbers from 2010-11 have a suspiciously
large number of “owner requests” for
euthanasia. Owner requests don’t count
in the calculation of their live release rate.
These deaths are not questioned by anyone,
they should be.
Greenhill does some good. However,
they “cherry pick” the animals they let into
their program. They import animals from
California when there are the same number
of animals locally that need help. It is past
time for compassionate, honest, No Kill
leadership at Greenhill. I for one will not
drink the Kool-Aid and believe anything
they say; neither should anyone else.
No Kill is the way.
Tamara Barnes
No Kill Lane County
Eugene
PUMP THAT RIDE
I recently read in the news that New
Jersey has added self-serve pumps at gas
stations. This leaves us as the last state that
doesn’t allow it. I think it’s time we joined
the rest of the U.S.
I’m not asking to do away with full
service, I’m just looking for an option for
those of us who would take advantage of
the speed and effi ciency of self serve.
The arguments I hear from my fellow
Oregonians don’t quite hold up in my book.
Self serve will be cheaper, the elderly and
handicapped will still get the service they
need, employment loss will be minimal
as it seems most attendants are already
overworked and the “dangers” are also
minimal with today’s technology.
It seems the other states get by just fi ne.
Besides, what kind of state would we be if
we offered fi reworks for purchase roadside
but not gas you could pump yourself?
Glenn Leonard
Eugene
Sarah
John Mayall Jarosz
Siri Vik
Where Or When
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EUGENE WEEKLY JULY 12, 2012
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