Response to "Utility fights carbon rules" News, Sept. 1
In the recent story about Southern Co.’s lobbying efforts to push back on carbon regulations, Southern CEO Tom Fanning said he is trying to secure “clean, safe, reliable, affordable” energy. The implication here is that EPA regulations will make energy unaffordable.
I want to see the same thing, so I have a suggestion for Mr. Fanning: Support a carbon tax that returns revenue to households.
By taxing carbon, we correct the market failure that makes fossil fuels unaccountable for the damage they cause. The market, then, will gravitate toward cleaner energy and energy efficiency — which will be affordable to consumers who are being compensated with carbon tax revenue.
There’s one thing we clearly can’t afford: delaying action to limit the greenhouse gases that are cooking our world.
STEVE VALK, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY
POLITICS
Racial explanation for
anti-Obama animosity?
Regarding “Writer overreaches by playing race card” (Readers write, Opinion, Sept. 1), a recent letter writer, while admitting that Maureen Dowd presented “excellent and valid points in her assessment of Republicans and their inane efforts to impeach President Obama,” takes umbrage with Dowd’s suggesting that racism might be the main reason (“Impeach Obama? Maybe lawmakers should leave,” Opinion, Aug. 25).
My question is, if their efforts are totally void of any credible reasons to impeach the president, what else could it be besides racism that is driving them? Perhaps they don’t like his hair.
TOBY BARWICK, LILBURN
WILDLIFE
Steel-jawed traps also
kill, maim family pets
I found it most depressing to read that the trapping of wild animals is on the increase in Georgia, as they are often caught in the most gruesome way with steel-jawed leghold traps (“Georgia’s trapping community seeing growth,” Metro, Sept. 3).
Several U.S. states and 88 countries have banned these cruel devices, which often leave animals struggling for hours and days before their agony is only relieved by death. Since these traps are indiscriminate, they are responsible each year for killing or crippling many dogs, cats and birds.
The Georgia Trappers Association has urged parents to get their children involved in trapping to keep this barbaric practice alive and well. I suggest that a trip to the local library would be far more beneficial, as children could then learn about the wonderful wild animals that inhabit this state.
COLIN MASON, ATLANTA
MASS TRANSIT
Legislature should do
more to fund MARTA
On a recent weekend when four major events were happening downtown, my experience with MARTA was close to appalling.
The Lindbergh parking deck was total chaos one morning as all MARTA parking spaces were filled, yet no one was stationed to block entry. One elevator on the bottom floor was broken, preventing any other elevators from stopping on that floor. Patrons had to figure out that pressing “G” on the elevator did not take them to the ground floor. No one could take the stairs because the door was locked. The escalators in the Peachtree Center station were running sporadically — if at all. At such times, we must look like a third-world nation to visitors.
While MARTA has its own degree of ineptness, the real issue lies with a state Legislature that refuses to provide MARTA the funding it needs to maintain its stations. We need to elect legislators who understand the value of world-class public transportation.
BRUCE WHITE, TUCKER
