It's easy to reduce our energy use

12/23/2006

The United Nations recently released a study that says animal agriculture (specifically cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, chicken, and dairy) produces more greenhouse gases that are warming our Earth than all the cars, trucks, and airplanes in our transportation sector.

I knew our food production and distribution system accounts for about 17 percent of our total energy use, but for some reason I never connected that to so much greenhouse gas.

This should come as good news to the automobile industry, which is now being sued over the greenhouse gases emitted by their cars and trucks. They now have a right to ask: Why target us and not the above?

My view is that we should be targeting both. Both are major sources of greenhouse gases.

We can make huge reductions in both by driving fuel-efficient vehicles, driving less, and eating little or none of the animal foods identified in the U.N. study.

I eat a mainly vegan diet, and find it ideal. The food tastes great, and my risk for many common diseases is greatly reduced.

To personally further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, I had my house fully insulated, had energy-efficient windows installed, turn my stat down to 63 degrees in the winter, use my air conditioner on only the five to 10 really hot days in summer.

I also replaced my old 63 percent efficient furnace with a 93 percent efficient one, use high efficiency appliances, compact fluorescent bulbs, and use my bicycle or feet for short, local trips.

I don't find any of these changes inconvenient. They save me about $1,500 a year, and have reduced my greenhouse gas load by the equivalent of about eight tons of carbon dioxide (equal to 800 gallons of gasoline not burned).

Jack Roesler

Rossford

Americans paying a price for Bush ego

Gwynne Dyer hit the nail on the head in his Dec. 11 column when he stated "the only reason to keep the war going in Iraq and our presence there is to save Mr. Bush's ego, period!"

The only other option in my opinion is to impeach him and Vice President Dick Cheney for misleading Congress and the American people in order to take us to war.

But I don't think that will happen because politicians take care of their own.

GERALD W. KAROW

290th Street

Before the war started in Iraq, I remember President Bush talking about praying for an answer. Then we read that he didn't talk to his father, the ex-president and ex-CIA director, about his overthrow of Iraq. He said he was talking to a higher Father.

This reminds me of when I was in Catholic grade school. And the nun said "It is good you prayed, but you still need to study."

Randy Fuhs

Fremont