Letters: Wind turbines are best, check the facts and Snake River dams not needed | April 15

Wind turbines best alternative

Global climate change and associated sea level rise and ocean acidification are the worst environmental, social and economic crisis Earth has ever faced. We must do everything possible to reduce our addiction to fossil fuels. Nothing is worse than fossil fuels, including radioactive waste, the dams that reduce fish passage and wind turbine problems with views, birds and other animals.

Farming and grazing can be done immediately adjacent to wind turbines. The loss of birds is terrible, but not as great as from fossil fuels and related pollution and temperature rise. Although everywhere on Earth is sacred to Native Americans, some of whom object to the proposed wind farm, the use of fossil fuels causes much more damage to the land, sea and sky. Yes, conservation is much better than any new energy facilities, but the sale of electric and even hybrid vehicles is minuscule, and I don’t see a whole lot of citizens bicycling.

When I see wind turbines, I see clear skies and imagine less coal mining and black lung disease, less oil drilling and spilling and less leaking methane. Let’s support the new wind farm, not because it’s ideal, but because it’s better than anything except conservation.

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Fact check both media, politicians

I have no trust in politicians and most mainstream media because they habitually lie to push a false agenda, and I’m extremely confident I’m not alone in that aspect. If you are ambitious enough, go here to see the crime data compiled by the FBI in 2019. (latest available, years past as well) https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/home

Their data covers Violent Crime: Murder, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault. Property Crime: Burglary, Larceny/Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, Arson. That’s just a sample of the actual information available to the public. So next time your/their politician/mainstream media is spouting out ‘facts,’ try fact checking them instead of believing whichever news source your using! Quit being a sheeple. Definition: People who unquestioningly accept as true whatever their political leaders say or who adopt popular opinion as their own without scrutiny.

The political and racial divide in this country is insane. Free speech censorship by corporations and businesses is out of control. The depths our own government is going to under the premise of protecting us from whatever, not just COVID-19, is ludicrous. I hope I live long enough to see this country get back on track to a type of normalcy we can all live with.

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Snake River dams aren’t needed

This is regarding the recent Tri-City Herald op-ed from three state senators about the how the looming power shortages make it impossible to remove the Lower Snake River dams.

The article points out that the recent Environmental Impact Study recommends that the dams be retained. This study was commissioned by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation and Bonneville Power, all parties who have a vested interest in keeping the dams. The foxes are guarding the henhouse! The senators didn’t mention that the same study admits that removing the dams is the option most likely to benefit the salmon runs.

The article also says that (Gov.) Jay Inslee is planning on shutting down all coal and gas power plants by 2025. The chances of this happening are about the same as the Snake River salmon recovering if we don’t remove the lower dams – zero. These dams only supply 4% of the region’s power, and we often have a power surplus that allows 25% of the power to be exported outside of the region. And the times that they have “saved our bacon” have been very rare and very brief and could be handled by purchasing outside power.

This story was originally published April 15, 2021 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Wind turbines are best, check the facts and Snake River dams not needed | April 15."