Letters to the Editor for April 15, 2009

Plan promotes renewable energy

To the editor:

A ludicrous editorial. The editorial in Friday’s paper, “An electric silence,” does not recognize the true aim of Gov. Kulongoski’s Oregon Renewable Energy Act of 2007 that requires 25 percent of energy from the largest utilities be renewable energy by 2025.

The goal is to meet new demand, which is predicted to increase by 25 percent by 2025, with new renewable energy. The existing hydropower generated at the Bonneville Power Administration’s dams on the Columbia River are not new sources of power and therefore do not count towards the renewable energy goals. In 2005, when this law was being developed, the electricity used in Oregon came from 52 percent hydro, 41 percent coal, 3 percent nuclear, 3 percent biomass and 1 percent wind. If we counted the existing hydropower portion of generated electricity as renewable we could continue to develop coal and other fossil fuels as electric sources to meet our growing demand for power.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski felt a new direction was needed that encouraged conservation, efficiency and new sources or renewable energy to meet the growing needs of Oregonians. The governor’s recognition of climate change and his response to it have provided a model for other states with President Obama to bring forth new energy policy that recognizes the realities we face as a nation and as a planet.

Baker County’s hydroelectric project at Mason Dam will take advantage of incentives put in place by Gov. Kulongoski, and count towards the goal of 25 percent renewable energy by 2025.

Randy Joseph

Baker City

Great play, but paltry audience

I had the pleasure of attending the play, “Zara,” presented by the Baker High School students this past Saturday evening. These kids worked very hard and did a fantastic job with their performances. I was very proud of all of them.

I was very disappointed in the number of those attending. There was maybe 20 people in attendance which I was told was the largest crowd of the three performances put on by these remarkable students. What a shame that more people didn’t attend. I’m sure it must have been very discouraging for the students after all their hard work and time to perform for such a small audience.

I would encourage the residents of Baker City to attend the next play presented by the Baker High School students.

Kim Hite

Baker City

Take a gander at this task force

The other day of April 3 while reading the Baker City Herald, the article about the Oregon Senate creating a task force to control geese numbers in the state just amazed me. I’ve spent most of my life mingling with Mother Nature’s wondrous feathered and fur-bearing creations. And not once did I witness a task force to control their number of existence within their own ranks. Their rule of existence is very literate in nature. The weak die, the strong survive. A simple formula to keep their ranks strong and disease-free. No human intervention needed or antibiotics introduced. Each are their own envoy in their environment.

First the people want an abundance of nature, then they complain about the abundance. Then to remedy the problem, which now can only be accomplished through some legalese leviathon Senate “task force.” Which equation, even if a volunteer group is used, is a waste of time and resources. And one way or another our hard-earned tax money will find its way to this problem area.

Over the years I’ve become friends with two retired state and federal fish and wildlife people. Their dedication and knowledge of these subjects has overwhelmed me, and my respect is given to them. For their field knowledge to be regulated by some chair-sitting, redundant, green-whining, politically motivated morons, doesn’t surprise me but just reinforces my thoughts of nature, on how really doomed Mother Nature is because of this evince approach.

Of course this is only one opinion of a conservation, hunter/fisherman type individual. Remember, it’s not how you regulate, it’s how you co-exist.

Jim Schmidt

Baker City