Some small cars do well in crash tests
Regarding the size of vehicle, crashworthiness, gas mileage numbers and impact on the environment in “Choose the vehicle you want; the planet will be OK” (Opinion, Feb. 4), first, I will acknowledge that in any given accident, bigger usually wins. However the writer neglects to explore that some small vehicles perform better in crash tests than larger ones.
The article is dismissive of the impact our choices play in selecting and purchasing a vehicle. If we are to take the article to heart, then by using the writer’s logic, we should all drive tractor-trailers that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. No automobile or SUV/pick-up will “win” a collision with a tractor-trailer. If we are unfortunate and end up in a collision, speeds too fast for conditions, the safety design of our vehicle, use of safety belts and harnesses and whether we collided with a larger or smaller vehicle are more indicative of the outcome.
MAX EPLING, WOODSTOCK
Carbon tax can fix emissions problem
In “Choose the vehicle you want,” H. Sterling Burnett actually makes an excellent case for a carbon tax, although I doubt that was his aim. He correctly points out that U.S. car and light truck emissions contribute a relatively small part of worldwide human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. But that is no excuse for inaction. The emissions problem isn’t about cars or trucks or even power plants. The problem is carbon, and it’s a well-understood problem.
Carbon dioxide is heating the planet, so if we want to cool things down, we need to reduce our use of carbon-intensive energy across the economy. A carbon tax that rebates all the money to the public would provide a broad solution to the emissions problem without complex and ever-changing regulations per sector or economic harm to average Americans.
BRANDON SUTTON, ATLANTA
Parents can’t treat kids like property
Regarding measles, the libertarian view that parents have the unfettered right to treat their children like private property misses the point that there are societal duties that take precedence over individual rights. A parent must educate them, regardless of their own views about the importance of education. Parents cannot beat them, endanger them, must use seat belts, cannot subject them to child labor, etc.
GENE GRIESSMAN, ATLANTA
