Money talks, the climate walks
As much as I’d prefer it were otherwise, we live in a capitalistic society. I detest the words “money talks,” but the reality is, spoiled Americans won’t make the necessary sacrifices to solve the climate crisis without the profit motive. To hell with the common good.
Energy companies won’t replace their fossil fuel power plants with renewables unless wind and solar are cheaper. Guess what? They are. Wind and solar are way less expensive than coal and, when extraction is taken into consideration, less than methane gas as well. Still, the big investor-owned energy companies remain loyal to the fossil fuel industry and plan to replace coal plants with methane gas facilities.
Renewables don’t have to be extracted. They’re right here on the surface, readily available, and you don’t have to build a big, expensive power plant to reap its benefits. Just put out a solar panel array or wind farm and distribute the electricity.
Drivers say electric vehicles are too expensive. True, Tesla’s go from $39,000 to $80,000, but you can get a Chevy Bolt for $25,000. Still too high? The Chinese BYD Seagull could be had for $12,000 if it weren’t for prohibitive tariffs or outright bans. And, Chinese EVs can have a 600-mile range, twice what American models currently have. You know, China, where their socialist economic system prevents innovation.
Gas savings must be taken into consideration when calculating the cost of an EV. Do you like paying those exorbitant prices at the pump that price-gouging Big Oil decides you should pay?
And, through the Inflation Reduction Act, the feds are offering up to a $7,500 tax rebate on selected new EVs. On photovoltaic rooftop solar panel systems and air-source heat pumps for heating and cooling, the rebates are up to 30%. Can you imagine the savings when you have no Xcel or Holy Cross power bill?
Farmers are among those most impacted by climate change, but they’re not going to adopt regenerative agriculture practices unless they can maintain or increase their yields. The tillers of the soil can’t live on government subsidies alone.
Fred Malo Jr.
Carbondale
Freedom of information
If you value the First Amendment and freedom of information, you’ll want to be paying close attention to this November’s county commissioner races.
After hearing countless complaints from
a handful of far-right individuals who want to limit access to books in our Garfield County libraries (and yes, that includes our Carbondale Library), the commissioners actually took action supporting this group’s cause. They passed a resolution last February to give themselves power over the entire process of selecting library trustees. Commissioner Mike Samson, who is running for reelection, admitted that he hadn’t read any of the books that this group is complaining about, but he still threw his weight behind this effort and agreed with their attacks on the American Library Association.
Colorado recently passed an important law (SB 24-216) to help protect our libraries from partisan book-banning. Senator Perry Will, who is now running for county commissioner, voted against it. Do we really want someone who voted “no” on that bill to be selecting trustees for our library board? You see where this goes…
The mission of our libraries is to provide access to information, not to restrict access, as well as making people feel safe in patronizing and working in our libraries.
Please vote for Caitlin Carey and Steven Arauza to keep our libraries as the wonderful, welcoming places that they are and to keep our libraries free of book banning.
Lori Patrick
Carbondale
Ironbridge
As the general manager of Ironbridge Golf Course, I’m grateful for the opportunity to give back to our community by supporting our local youth. Our youth are the future of the Roaring Fork Valley, and it is important that they feel supported and have access to meaningful opportunities like mentoring. Just like how a coach helps a golfer improve their skills, having a Big Buddy mentor in the Buddy Program provides young people with the guidance and support they need to overcome challenges and reach their full potential.
That’s why we’re excited to host the Second Annual Buddy Classic Golf Tournament, presented by Gould Construction, on Sept. 23. We’re donating our course for this event because we know that giving back is more than just a responsibility; it’s an investment in the future of our valley. Every team that joins the tournament helps support the Buddy Program’s four mentoring programs, benefiting over 550 youth, families and volunteers across our valley — all at no cost to them.
I warmly invite you to join us for a day of fun, prizes, food and drinks! Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just enjoy a game with friends, this tournament is a wonderful way to make a positive impact while enjoying a round of golf and our post-event reception.
Wes Cole
Glenwood Springs
Cat’s Aren’t Trophies
As a lifelong hunter, naturalist, and former game and fish agency bureaucrat, I need to correct circulating mythology about killing cougars and bobcats. Unlike traditional game, predators can’t compensate for mortality with fecundity. They self-regulate. They don’t require management, which in most of the West means killing. Bobcat trapping is regulated not by science but by fur prices. There’s no evidence that killing cougars and bobcats creates more game or decreases depredations of pets and livestock. And there’s copious evidence that trophy hunting, in which large cats are selected, skews age structure so that more young, inexperienced animals disperse to human settlements, causing increased depredations.
Veteran cougar researcher Dr. Mark Elbroch of the group Panthera offers this: “Cougars don’t need to be killed. No problem is solved by killing them. And there are hardly any bobcat regulations in any state. No bag limits, no data on how many are out there.”
From Dr. Rick Hopkins who has studied cougars since 1979: “For years agencies have made such claims [that killing predators creates more game], but when pushed to provide evidence they can’t.” Cougars cornered by hounds are executed at point-blank range, often after the sedentary hunter has been radioed in by the outfitter. And many outfitters guarantee kills. Trophy hunting and trapping of predators is not management, nor is it fair chase. I urge all Coloradans who cherish native wildlife, including fair-chase hunters, to vote “yes” on the Cats Aren’t Trophies ballot measure, which will protect wild felines.
Ted Williams
Grafton
Massachusetts