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THE ASTORIAN • THuRSdAy, FEbRuARy 3, 2022
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
DERRICK DePLEDGE
Editor
Founded in 1873
SHANNON ARLINT
Circulation Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
GUEST COLUMN
Fire and melting ice
F
ire and ice. It was as stunning as it
The Astorian recently printed a guest
was tragic. In Colorado, raging grass
column (“A threat to farm families” Jan.
fires one week, followed by a blan-
1, 2022) by a Tillamook farmer, Karl
ket of snow. Over a thousand homes lost.
Zweifel, representing the Tillamook
A terrible tragedy, but so strange, too. In
County Farm Bureau, taking issue with
December, fire one day, ice the next.
the Climate Protection Program. Zweifel
Hardly a week goes by when we don’t
expressed concern that gas prices will
see at least one alarming headline about
rise enough to put farmers’ livelihoods at
our unstable climate. The past seven
risk. He claimed this plan was the work of
years have been the seven hottest years
urban politicians, who without concern,
on record. The hottest ocean temperatures
put the greatest burden on rural Orego-
nians, and that the Climate Protec-
ever recorded occurred last year.
tion Program was just a “feel-good”
There was the unprecedented
policy which “will have no impact
deadly heat wave we suffered in the
on global climate change.”
Pacific Northwest last summer, and
In fact, the Climate Protection
the historic wildfires here in Ore-
gon the previous summer. Kodiak,
Program was written with the input
Alaska experienced a record-shat-
of an expansive rule-making advi-
sory committee. It was composed
tering daily high temperature in
ERIC
of people from all over Oregon,
December, beating the old record
HALPERIN
rural and urban, from many indus-
by 20 degrees!
tries and associa-
Melting per-
tions, including, but
mafrost is threat-
IF WE dON’T STOP
ening the Trans-
not limited to agri-
culture, timber, con-
Alaska Pipeline. The
PuMPING CARbON
servation districts,
ice shelf that holds
POLLuTION INTO
pulp and paper,
back the mammoth
trucking, fuel suppli-
Thwaites glacier in
THE SKy, A 10%
ers, energy suppli-
Antarctica is melting
ers, as well as some-
much faster than pre-
INCREASE IN GAS
from Zweifel’s
viously known, and
PRICES WILL bE THE one
town, a represen-
could break up in the
tative from the Til-
next five to 10 years.
VERy LEAST OF OuR
lamook Creamery.
The hits just keep on
COSTS, ANd OuR
Everybody had a
coming.
seat at the table. In
It is long known
PRObLEMS.
addition, Oregonians
and well accepted by
submitted over 7,600
the scientific com-
munity that the source of this instability is
public comments, with over 70% in favor
greenhouse gas pollution from the burning
of the program.
of fossil fuels. In response, nations, states,
Regarding gas prices, an analysis com-
missioned by the state estimated that prices
cities and corporate entities around the
may increase from 3% to 7%. A differ-
world are starting to take action to reduce
ent analysis, commissioned by industries
fossil fuel emissions. Just last month, Ore-
gon enacted the Climate Protection Pro-
opposed to the program, estimated that by
gram. The program hopes to reduce the
2035 gasoline could increase by 36 cents
burning of gasoline, diesel and natural gas
and diesel 39 cents. If we suppose $3.50
in Oregon by 50% by 2035 and 90% by
as a current average price, that is a 10%
the year 2050.
to 11% increase in 13 years. As we know,
David Zalubowski/AP Photo
A lone flame flickers as smoke roils from the remains of a home destroyed by a pair of
wildfires this winter in Colorado.
gas prices are influenced by many fac-
tors, mostly by global geopolitical and
market forces. It is fair to argue that the
costs of the program to local fuel suppli-
ers in Oregon will have much less impact
on the price of fuel than decisions made by
OPEC.
The reality is, the Climate Protection
Program will affect all Oregonians, no
matter where they live. Everyone who uses
fuels for transportation or for heating will
have to switch to an alternative source.
And the program is designed to put invest-
ments into creating those alternatives. Its
Community Climate Investment program
will help both rural and urban communities
promote clean energy alternatives by fund-
ing projects, such as EV school busses, EV
charging infrastructure, community-based
wind, solar and small hydro facilities, effi-
cient heat pumps to replace propane and
gas furnaces, and which also provide air
conditioning. An option for the diesel fuel
used by farmers is to utilize renewable die-
sel from oil seed crops; crops which could
grown by Oregon farmers. This is but a
short list of possible investments.
In response to the claim that the Cli-
mate Protection Program will have no
impact on global climate change, well, all
by itself, of course it won’t. No one should
expect one policy in one state to “fix” cli-
mate change. But every state must join
in. Every nation, every state, every city,
every business, every person must join in.
In our country though, where the ethos of
individualism runs strong, lots of people
don’t want to be told what to do. We have
no option though, but to pull in the same
direction together to solve this planetary
crisis.
Change isn’t easy. Sure, we’d all like
it to go back to 1960 again, when a gallon
of gas cost 25 cents and nobody had even
heard about carbon pollution. But we are
headed to the future, not to the past.
Zweifel thinks the future is grim
because gas prices might go up 10% by
the year 2035. I think the future is grim
because if we don’t stop pumping car-
bon pollution into the sky, a 10% increase
in gas prices will be the very least of our
costs, and our problems. Fire and ice. Fire
and melting ice.
Eric Halperin is a retired optometrist
who lives in Gearhart.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Imperfect world
is a pity the world is not just how we
want it to be. One Bari Weiss proclaims
that she is “done with COVID,” on “Real
Time with Bill Maher.”
She said she “… sprayed the Pringles cans
… stripped my clothes off because I thought
COVID would be on my clothes … we all
did it.”
Poor thing! Such almighty inconve-
niences shade absolutely the unstinting atten-
tion healthcare heroes have paid COVID-19
patients, beginning even well before there
was hope for a vaccine.
Weiss has every right to think she’s “done
with COVID,” but alas, COVID might not be
done with her.
Newt Gingrich labels the House Jan. 6
committee a “lynch mob … running over the
law … pursuing innocent people.” By “peo-
ple,” Gingrich means chums of the former
president who might have been party to the
day’s events.
In fact, congressional committees may
legally summon witnesses and charge those
disregarding the summons with contempt.
Of course, appearing and testifying publicly
would preempt further “pursuit” or prosecu-
tion. (Why is it so hard to tell the truth with
the public witnessing?)
But the eye of Newt is jaundiced, indeed:
vengeance-bent, in playground bully fashion,
Gingrich threatens the committee’s members
with comeuppance prosecution for seeking
the truth of what happened that day.
To be “done” when one doesn’t get one’s
way or, in tantrum-mode, to spew furious
insults and silly threats, are hallmarks of
puerility. Coming of age is measured, after,
all by coming to terms with this imperfect
world, its truths, realities and inconveniences,
and by abandoning the childish and the inane.
BRIAN LAVELLE
Astoria
‘T
Go fly a kite
he recent editorial cartoon, “Biden
Charlie Brown” (The Astorian, Jan.
29), showing President Joe Biden as Charlie
Brown losing kites in a tree, barely scratches
the surface of failures created by the current
administration.
From day one, Biden has failed to pro-
duce any policy beneficial to the nation’s cit-
izens, and it’s apparent the next three years
will be more of the same.
And, with his plummeting approval rat-
ing, it’s apparent Americans have caught
onto the fact this president doesn’t know
what he’s doing.
His ill-conceived Afghanistan pullout has
cost American military personnel lives and
left military materiel in known terrorists’
possession.
His party’s overaggressive attempt
T
to change election laws has made voters
even more skeptical of our voting system’s
integrity.
His refusal to enforce current immigra-
tion regulations has allowed over 2 million
unvetted people to roam all over the country
without the ability to monitor where they go
and what they do.
His “Build Back Better” proposal was
supposed to not cost the taxpayers a dime, but
was really a giveaway scam costing trillions.
His economic plan has inflation soar-
ing, resulting in higher energy and food
prices for every citizen with little hope of an
acceptable “normal.”
Finally, his inability to handle the
COVID-19 pandemic has left all Americans
wondering each day as to when the night-
mare will end.
Those Americans who have kept track of
Biden’s failures are left with nothing to say
but: “Hey Joe, go fly a kite.”
MATT JANES
Jeffers Garden
Concerned
am concerned for the proposed develop-
ments for the city block on Duane and
Exchange streets.
There is no doubt that low-cost housing
I
is needed for Astoria. My concern is the plan
calls for units with very inadequate park-
ing. Not only are there development parking
problems, but there are ongoing downtown
Astoria core parking shortages.
The Astoria Sunday Market, American
Legion, Astoria Senior Center, Liberty The-
atre, and even City Hall, will be negatively
affected by the proposed plan.
Mental health services provided at the
west end Bond Street address should stay
there. Except for utilizing the “hole” in our
commercial area, residential housing needs to
be in residential areas.
BOB WESTERBERG
Astoria