letters
TO THE EDITOR
EUGENE IS NEXT
Every year, Oregonians throw out 1.7
billion plastic bags. The city of Eugene
estimates Eugeneans use 67 million bags a
year. I have seen these bags make it into
our communities and environment, fl oating
around in the air or being snared in a tree or
bush before they make their way out to sea.
Like so many people in Eugene, I enjoy
the hiking, fi shing and camping opportuni-
ties that Oregon provides and have enjoyed
them my entire life. The damage that these
bags cause is well known, as Portland and
now even Corvallis have banned them; it’s
now Eugene’s turn. It’s a no-brainer to stop
plastic bag waste. As Oregonians, we all
have a stake in protecting our ocean and our
coast, but it is the residents of Eugene, liv-
ing in the second-largest city in Oregon, that
can set the stage for the rest of the state. The
citizens of Eugene must call their city coun-
cilors to let them know that they don’t want
another bag to disrupt the beauty of Oregon
and all that it means to us.
Evan Fessler
Portland
WAR AND CLIMATE
Global warming is a reality to be taken
very seriously. Longtime climate change
skeptics sound the alarm. Most of us are
more careful in our energy use. Rising
energy prices are getting the attention of
those not inclined to conserve.
But nowhere, it seems, is the connection
between waging war and global warming
wondered about or discussed.
While many of us seriously struggle to
use energy resources wisely, the beat of the
military-industrial complex goes on. It’s
time to think about one of the really big
elephants stomping on planet Earth.
Consider the amount of energy required
— and therefore heat generated — to
produce weapons of war; house and train
military personnel; transport weapons and
personnel by air, sea and land; operate
military equipment; detonate explosives of
all kinds; and provide short- and long-term
medical services for personnel.
What are we as a nation prepared to do
about this? How do we decide if a war is
worth the cost in blood and treasure? How
can we collectively make better choices to
ensure a healthy and suffi cient world for
those yet to be born?
Camilla Pratt
Eugene
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EUGENE WEEKLY AUGUST 23, 2012
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