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OPINION
East Oregonian
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Founded October 16, 1875
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Publisher
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Managing Editor
TIM TRAINOR
Opinion Page Editor
MARISSA WILLIAMS
Regional Advertising Director
MARCY ROSENBERG
Circulation Manager
JANNA HEIMGARTNER
Business Office Manager
MIKE JENSEN
Production Manager
OUR VIEW
OTHER VIEWS
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Patrons play in the water at McNary Beach on the Columbia River on Mon-
day in Umatilla. With rising temperatures, the beaches along the Columbia
River will become a popular place for those looking to escape the heat.
Stay cool, dude
Eastern Oregonians are no
strangers to an August heat wave. It
seems to arrive annually this time
of year, a blistering sun scorching
the region just when the most work
is required to harvest our wheat and
watermelons.
But these next few days will test
even the hardiest of local residents,
as thermometers are expected to
climb to record highs. The National
Weather Service is predicting
temperatures to rise to 107 degrees
in Hermiston on Thursday, which
would be a record for the date.
So as practiced as many of us are
regarding the heat, it’s time to take
additional precautions over the next
few days.
Those precautions must start at
staying hydrated, and making sure
your friends and loved ones are
doing the same. Drink lots of water
from the time you get up to the time
you go to bed, and go light on the
coffee and the alcoholic beverages in
between.
Stay out of the sunlight when
you can, wear hats and apply ample
coats of sunscreen when outdoors.
And remember to keep an eye on
neighbors, or others in need who
may not have anyone looking out for
them.
Do your best to make your living
space livable, without breaking the
bank or using unnecessary energy.
Button up your home before the
sun comes up — close your blinds
and drapes tightly, especially on
south-facing windows that allow
the most heat. Once the sun is down
and temperatures drop to more
respectable levels, open windows
and use fans to replace the hot, stuffy
air with fresher, cooler air.
Air conditioners may be necessary
during the height of the heat midday,
but remember that fans use much
less electricity and can be more
effective after the sun goes down.
Consider leaving the oven,
dishwasher and dryer off during
the day. And if you can stand your
thermostat at 78 degrees or so, you’ll
save considerable money and energy
— dropping the thermostat by every
2 degrees can increase your bill by as
much as 8 percent.
Considering the cost of keeping
your house cool, many people tend
to share the energy load by spending
hot days in public places with AC.
A midday movie at the theater or a
cheaper and more edifying trip to the
library can give you three hours of
air-conditioned chill when the heat is
at its most unbearable.
As we mentioned in Tuesday’s
story, many of our towns have public
pools, and there are swimming spots
along many of our local waterways
— though take safety precautions,
as the intense heat combined with
cooler water can affect swimmers.
And consider beating the heat by
increasing your altitude. It is likely to
be 20 degrees cooler atop Tollgate,
and if you climb high enough in the
Wallowas, you’ll find snow. And
snow is never more welcome than on
a 100-degree August day.
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of publisher
Kathryn Brown, managing editor Daniel Wattenburger, and opinion page editor Tim Trainor.
Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not
necessarily that of the East Oregonian.
YOUR VIEWS
Oregon should promote
natural gas vehicles
Luckily, natural gas powered vehicles
are a ready-made solution to reduce
harmful emissions from the heavy-duty
vehicles we need for commerce,
commuting and getting our kids to
school.
Transportation is the largest source
of greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon,
producing nearly 40 percent of the
total. Diesel-powered trucks and buses
contribute significantly to bad air days.
Natural gas vehicles are much cleaner
than diesel vehicles and capable of doing
the same work. They feature significant
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
and in harmful air pollutants including
fine particulates, nitrous oxides and
sulfur oxides.
For instance, the newest diesel motors
emit up to twenty times more nitrous
oxides than the latest natural gas engines.
We are all affected by diesel pollution,
but especially the most vulnerable
populations: children, elderly and the
sick.
Vehicle emissions are a problem
we need to address right now. That’s
one reason why companies like Waste
Management, UPS, Frito Lay and Fred
Meyer currently operate natural gas
vehicles as part of their local fleets.
The opportunity to convert other
fleets to natural gas is enormous. There’s
another plus: they can run on renewable
natural gas. Every landfill and sewage
treatment plant produces renewable
natural gas but few communities
make use of it. Hauling big loads
using ultra-low emitting engines could
provide up to a 115 percent reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions and a similar
decrease in toxic air pollutants.
Remember the Mr. Fusion Home
Energy Reactor in “Back To the
Future?” It used household garbage to
run the DeLorean Time Machine. Using
renewable natural gas to fuel vehicles is
a big step in that very direction.
The future is now in the Pacific
Northwest. We can make the jump to
cleaner transportation by prioritizing
natural gas vehicles for some of
Oregon’s Volkswagen settlement funds;
giving fleet owners practical alternatives
to replacing old diesel engines with new
ones; earmarking funds for conversions
of publicly owned fleets, and facilitating
the build-out of safe, clean natural gas
fueling stations.
Transitioning passenger cars to
electric vehicles is important and we’re
making good progress on that front.
However, putting electric vehicles to
work moving large loads over varied
terrain is a long way off. Every day we
wait to address this issue is another day
vulnerable citizens are exposed to the
toxic health effects of diesel exhaust. It is
time to make real change now by putting
natural gas vehicles on our roads.
Keeping Devin Nunes
out of the game
I
n early April, news reports were
— in order to keep Nunes out of the
filled with word that House
Russia investigation.
Intelligence Committee Chairman
“I don’t think there is anyone on the
Devin Nunes had recused himself from
(intelligence) committee who thinks
the committee’s Russia investigation.
Devin did anything inappropriate,” said
Outside activist groups accused Nunes
Rep. Chris Stewart, a member of the
of revealing classified information, and
Intelligence Committee, in an interview
the House Ethics Committee decided to
last week. “We’re so frustrated with
look into the matter. Nunes was forced
the ethics process that I’ve been
Byron
to step aside from the Russia probe
encouraging him to get back in the
York
while the ethics watchdogs worked.
seat.”
Comment
Now, nearly four months later, the
“How it has been handled has
committee is still working, with no end
been very controversial,” said another
in sight.
Intel Committee member in a text exchange.
It’s been an unusual investigation from the
“Democrats slow-walking the ethics inquiry to
beginning. The House Intelligence Committee
keep (Nunes) sidelined.”
has nonpartisan staff to watch
Tom Rust, the Ethics
members for any possible
Committee staff director and
disclosures of classified
chief counsel, declined to
information. If a member
comment on the case.
is thought to have revealed
Now, as the Russia
something classified — it’s
case continues to dominate
usually inadvertent and a
public attention, the House
minor matter — the staff
investigation is going largely
can bring it to his or her
without its chairman, who
attention, and the matter is
has been pushed to the side
usually handled inside the
by an unusual investigation
committee.
that Republicans believe
In fact, it is rare for an
is being extended for the
accusation of unauthorized
purpose of keeping the
disclosure to make it to
chairman away from the
the Ethics Committee. “It
Russia affair. And there is no
is not unprecedented, but
idea of when that situation
the number of cases that
might change.
are reported or publicly
But if the history cited
known are fairly limited,” said Scott Horton,
by Scott Horton is any prediction, the Ethics
a Columbia University law lecturer who has
Committee will end up doing nothing in the
studied the topic. “The treatment of the cases
Nunes affair. On the other hand, that is not
is uneven. In several high-profile cases, the
really the point. The point, at the moment, is for
case was opened and studied, but no action was the committee to keep the matter going so that
taken.”
Nunes will have to stay on the sidelines.
When Horton testified before a Senate
And that leads to the question of what Nunes
Judiciary subcommittee last December, running will do now. The first sentence of this article
down a list of examples, the most recent case
noted that news reports in April said Nunes had
of the House Ethics Committee looking at
“recused” himself from the Russia matter. But
alleged unauthorized disclosure of classified
Nunes says he did not recuse himself — that
information was a 1995 case in which the
word has a specific legal meaning — but
committee investigated then-Rep. Robert
rather stepped aside from leading the Russia
Torricelli for allegedly releasing classified
investigation for a while. That meant Nunes not
information about the CIA in Guatemala. The
only remained chairman but has also been able
committee took no action.
to keep up with the Russia probe.
But now Nunes is under Ethics Committee
“I never recused myself,” Nunes told a
investigation. The probe commenced after
Fresno, California radio station in mid-June.
three left-leaning activist groups, MoveOn.org,
“What happened was, the media began this
Democracy 21, and Citizens for Responsibility
narrative that I had recused myself when in fact
and Ethics in Washington, asked the committee all I said was hey, I’m just going to temporarily
“to investigate whether Nunes disclosed
step aside from leading this.” At another point
classified information,” according to the CREW in the same appearance, Nunes said he was
website.
“still involved in the investigation, just not
Nunes denied the charges and attributed
leading it.”
them to the activists’ campaign to derail any
A month earlier, in May, in an interview
investigation into alleged Obama White House
with Fox News, Nunes said he is still informed
misuse of intelligence. Nevertheless, “despite
on things that are happening in the Russia
the baselessness of the charges,” in the words
affair. “I’m still read into everything,” Nunes
of his statement, Nunes stepped aside from the
said.
Russia probe on April 6.
What if the Ethics Committee probe goes
Now, as the investigation finishes its
on indefinitely? At some point, it seems
fourth month, a number of Republicans on
possible that Nunes and the Republicans on
the Intelligence Committee are becoming
the Intelligence Committee will say enough is
frustrated. As they see it, there’s nothing to
enough. What will happen then is anybody’s
the charge, but Democrats have the ability to
guess.
stretch out the Ethics Committee probe —
■
unlike other committees, Ethics is divided
Byron York is chief political correspondent
equally between Republicans and Democrats
for The Washington Examiner.
As the Russia
case continues
to dominate
public attention,
the House
investigation is
going largely
without its
chairman.
Dan Kirschner
NW Gas Association
West Linn
LETTERS POLICY
The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper
reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Submitted letters must
be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a phone number. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.