In a previous letter to the editor, I pointed out that just eight countries are operating a total of 3,534 coal fired power plants with plans to construct 1,883 additional plants while the United States has only 15 with no additional forecast.
A letter appeared the following week stating the Green New Deal was good for the climate. The writer cited the U.S.’s CO2 emissions between 1850 and 2007. We can’t use figures for 150-plus years to prove a point, we must look at the world today. The two biggest polluters today are China and India. The pollution was so bad in Beijing in 2008 that industry and personal transportation was limited for weeks during the Olympics.
I am 80 years old and can remember when you could not see Windsor from the Detroit side of the river or the ground over Zug Island at 600 feet. The Rouge River was catching on fire. This nation has come a long way in improving the environment in the last 50 years. Can we do better? The answer is yes.
The Green New Deal wants to phase out fossil fuels. Products used in fossil fuels include but are not limited to plastic, fertilizer for growing food, medications, asphalt for roads, wax, insulation for electric wire, clothing, furniture and don’t forget your furnace, gas stove or outdoor grill.
At this point in time there are not enough renewable power sources to supply the population in this county. In 2018 approximately 17 percent of power was generated by renewable energy with hydropower at seven percent and wind at six percent. Experts keep warning that the electric grid is in danger of crashing at this point because of high demand.
My question is, why do people who promote the Green New Deal travel in private jets and million dollar yachts? I guess the sacrifices only apply to you and I but not the elite.
I would suggest for those who believe in this scheme to do the research and find out what the cost it, what the average person will have to give up just to survive.
No matter what the United States does at this point is meaningless unless the rest of the world follows suit today. To get their attention, perhaps we should put an import tax on all goods coming from countries whose environment is not equal or less than that of the U.S.
—Joe Pilchak,
Capac
