Health before profits

Tue., Dec. 17, 2013

I am astounded at the amount of effort and time that is being spent talking about coal. All you have to do is turn on the television to see the destruction caused to life and property around the world because of changing weather patterns: floods, droughts, blizzards, massive storms; all due to the increase of pollutants spilled into our atmosphere.

China is burning coal at an alarming rate, and their air is too toxic to breathe. That air blows back here to the Pacific Northwest for us to breathe. Can we really say that profit or union jobs are worth killing people? We need air. Our children need air. What’s left to discuss?

Mining coal and burning coal will never be worth the price we will all pay. So let’s quit talking the issue to death and just kill coal exports once and for all. It’s time to put health before profits.

Sherri Irish

Washougal, Wash.

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