Letters: 12/15/16

Take a Trump time-out for your health

So, we’re sitting around talking to friends, and despite the election being over for more than a month, we’re still talking about Trump-related outrages. And this is being repeated numerous times with other friends. We used to talk about books, movies, children/grandchildren, vacation plans or trips we did, but instead, we’re rehashing or relating to the Trump antics.

I suspect that others around the country/world are finding themselves in the same place. We’re having a dinner with three other couples next weekend and I’m proposing a moratorium on political conversation and venting to be limited to 20 minutes and focus on what is going on in our lives with more relaxing and productive conversation.

For our blood pressures and mental health, I think others could set some limits and get on with our lives (and promote self-care and contribute to others.)

Ken Singer/Lyons

‘Camera’ muni poll
outdated instantly

The Daily Camera’s recent poll of Boulder voters about the formation of a municipal electric utility (Camera, December 4) was a good idea, but it became outdated almost immediately.

The poll was taken between November 13 and 18. But on November 18, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) ruled that Boulder’s application to separate from Xcel was complete. This was a significant milestone. The Camera’s front-page story on the day following the close of the poll was, “City makes new advance.”

Due to the timing of the poll, persons who responded were almost certainly unaware of the City’s major victory. If the poll had been taken the week after the PUC announcement, it is highly likely that the results would have been quite different — more supporters, fewer “undecideds.”

Yet even the poll as-conducted showed, according to the Camera, that, “on the question of whether the city should act urgently to thwart climate change, which is the primary purpose of the utility bid, there is little debate.” More than four out of five Boulder citizens support the City’s goals to reduce carbon emissions and ameliorate climate change.

Xcel’s power mix is still 70 percent from fossil fuels, and Xcel has said it will not close its last coal-fired power plant until 2069. We cannot achieve our climate change goals unless we are able to increase our percentage of renewables, and to do that we need to separate from Xcel.

Finally, as the Camera notes: “If the PUC approves Boulder’s application in time for next year’s election, the city could see a boost in support on the heels of what would be by far the most significant win of the entire municipalization bid.”

Amber Hess/Boulder

Go Danish

Thanks so much to Paul Danish for bringing to light the findings of this comparative study of agricultural practices revealing the numerous environmental benefits attributable to the use of these fine GMO products [Re: “Danish Plan,” Dec. 8].

Clearly, it would be in the long-term best interests of nearly all Americans for the federal government to seize and nationalize the Monsanto Corporation in order to make these wonderful products available at a subsidized low cost to all of our nation’s farmers. I’m writing my congressman today. I just hope he hasn’t accepted any substantial campaign contributions from Monsanto that might cloud his thinking.

Michael DeLang/Coal Creek Canyon

Trump’s appointment of Scott Pruitt to head EPA

By appointing Scott Pruitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Trump is putting America at risk. Pruitt is a pure product of the oil and gas industry, installed in successive government posts to sell out his constituents at every turn. He will push this country far behind the rest of the world in the race for 21st century clean energy. With Scott Pruitt as head of the EPA, the people and the environment will be in the hands of a man who cares about neither.

As Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt was an enthusiastic shill for the fracking industry and a reckless obstruction to the Clean Power Plan. By putting fossil fuel toadies and climate deniers like Pruitt in positions of power, Trump is taking America further away from climate solutions and the global clean energy revolution and toward planetary disaster.

While Trump may send signals to the media he has an “open mind” about climate change, this appointment and the rest of his proposed cabinet confirm he doesn’t understand the stakes of the game he’s playing. More people care about climate change than voted for Trump. He is on the wrong side of this issue. If climate change denial is going to the default position of the Trump White House, then relentless resistance will be the default position of the American people.

Travis Nichols/Greenpeace

Good stock tip

It is clear to my dim wit that the President-Elect Tweetster is being Billy Bushed into carrying water to the swamp for the Moneyed, the no nonsense Military and the Fanatical Right. Meanwhile the AP is already getting us accustomed to the idea of losing public housing funding, living with dirtier air/water and having health, safety and welfare laws rolled back that protect the now stagnant minimum wage chumps. Of course the 1 percent are very happy about this direction. But why would any of the 99 percent be? Maybe we should follow the smart money and use our minimum wage to buy stock in private prisons.

John Hoffmann/Carbondale