The focus on clean coal is troubling

10/4/2008

As the woman who asked vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden the controversy-causing question about clean coal at a rope line in Maumee, I continue to be concerned about how little politicians and the media have thought through the consequences of a coal future.

Although Senator Biden s response to my question is often referenced, as in the vice presidential debate Thursday night, the media continue to miss the crucial point:

There is no such thing as clean coal.

Conventional coal-burning power plants are the leading cause of global warming pollution in the United States. Pollution that will cost us billions in the future.

Coal emits more carbon pollution per unit of energy than any other fossil fuel let alone clean sources of energy.

Carbon capture and sequestration is unproven, dangerous, and exorbitantly expensive. At best, the technology will not be commercially available until 2030 and the U.S. Department of Energy calculates that installing carbon capture systems will almost double any coal plant costs.

To become energy independent, our tax dollars should not go to the boondoggle of some coal industry dream of carbon capture.

Instead we should focus on real solutions that are available right now solutions like wind power, solar power, and gains in energy efficiency.

CAROLYN AUWAERTER

Columbus

The author of a Sept. 30 letter to The Blade s Readers Forum criticizing the University of Findlay for allegedly not assisting students with voter registration is misinformed. Clearly, he is not a University of Findlay student.

The university has sent at least seven mass e-mails out to the entire student body advising them of times, dates, and sites where voter registration is occurring on campus.

In addition to the voter-registration events, there were also several on-campus locations where students could pick up a voter registration form at their convenience.

I am an off-campus graduate student, so I do not know what additional publicity was done for on-campus students.

However, I can say that each and every University of Findlay student received the information on multiple occasions via campus e-mail.

SUSAN SUWINSKI

Sylvania

Regardless of what anyone says about Carty Finkbeiner and his planting of fl owers around the city, the corridor along Reynolds Road is a major improvement and has a lot to say for the area.

It s impressive and also indicates someone cares about the city. For those driving the area every day, it certainly has to brighten their day.

This also goes for the Anthony Wayne Trail and other areas in the city that are beautiful as well.

If we could get talk-show hosts Fred LeFebvre and Brian Wilson to drive through these areas, maybe they could talk more positively about Toledo and not so negatively.

BARBARA MORAN

Maumee

We the people elect whom we will and how we will and we the people get what we deserve.

HAROLD BERK

Blissfield