Letters To The Editor

THE ENVIRONMENT

Forest more than a profit center

I must respond to the ill-informed, unrealistic nonsense Gary M. Garrison wrote (“Anti-logging types not reasonable,” Letter, Dec. 25).

As a lumber mill worker, he should strongly support conservation of trees, a finite resource, and especially old-growth forests. To keep your job you must consider the long-term significance of maintaining a perpetual, healthy forest.

He must face the reality that many of us enter forests not only for the trees but to enjoy clean streams, abundant wildlife, berry picking and recreation. His myopic views reveal why he ought to get out into the forest and see it for more than just lumber.

We should preserve remaining old-growth forests. They are not a renewable resource. No more roads can be permitted in now-roadless areas. The salvage rider farce and its backers (Sens. Larry Craig and Slade Gorton, Rep. Helen Chenoweth - the witless useless movement) should be reprimanded and barred from future forest policy making.

We should all be exemplary stewards of the land. This is a huge responsibility because we know so little about nature and how the overall ecology functions. We must show respect by caring for the land and all that lives on it and because of it, now and always.

Aldo Leopold, in his concern for the land, penned this: “A land ethic changes the role of homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow members, and also respect for the community as such.” Rod D. Brauner Chattaroy

Bypassing dams makes sense

“Dams key to area shipping” (Dec. 23) correctly argued that barging is a primary remaining reason for not bypassing the lower Snake River dams. The article noted that a bypass channel would have a comparatively small effect on local irrigators.

As for power generation, part of the reason that electricity costs in the region are the lowest in the nation is that we can produce more power than we have the ability to consistently sell.

While barging is perhaps the greatest concern when considering how to save this region’s once plentiful salmon runs, shipping is certainly not a reason in itself to keep the dams operating. Barging is the “cheapest” means of transportation because we taxpayers subsidize so much of its cost. We foot the bill every time a massive barge is raised or lowered hundreds of feet in the locks of the dams.

Though bypassing the dams would displace labor from shipping to trucking and rail jobs, we cannot afford to ignore the boost in jobs that a rejuvenated salmon and steelhead fishery would offer this area.

As for the debt of $29 million a year that would still need to be paid if the dams were mothballed, why not use a small portion of the $435 million we currently spend each year on salmon recovery programs? The lower Snake River dams are about as functional as the inoperative nuclear plants in the region.

It’s time we recognize the dams of the Lower Snake for what they always were: a very costly mistake. Bailing out the dams now may be our most fiscally conservative option. Andrew Cook Pullman

Salmon are boondoggle bait

I can’t believe there are studies in the works to mothball four lower Snake River dams just to save the salmon. Then they don’t know if a free-flowing river can bring the salmon back.

Let’s quit spending millions of dollars on salmon recovery programs that don’t work and put the money to better use. Money could be spent on programs to help the homeless and jobless or be invested in our youths. It seems like it takes more money than taxpayers want to spend for these social programs, so let’s use some of this salmon recovery money. If we have to make a choice, helping our future generation is more important than saving salmon.

Some of that money could also be used to help Indians build fish hatcheries and raise salmon. That would give the Indians job plus help the salmon. Glenn Herman Moses Lake.

Story of old mine should reassure

Your Dec. 20 articles about the Silver Crescent Mine missed the point.

The real story is not unspecified levels of heavy metals leaking into an unnamed creek, that taxpayers will pay for the cleanup or that the Environmental Protection Agency insists tailings be shipped to Oregon, adding to cleanup costs. Those are yesterday’s tired old news-rhetoric. Round up the usual suspects.

No, the real story is not a negative one about the evil legacy of mining’s past. The real story is about a society that has become rich and smart enough to clean up after past generations. A society that has enacted legislation to outlaw past practices. A society that has created the world’s cleanest natural resource industries.

Think about where the bounty around us comes from. Think how lucky we are to live in a time when the foundations of wealth, natural resources, can be had with minimal environmental impact, a time when past problems are recognized and cleaned up. We should all be thankful.

Some people will not be thankful until all goods made from natural resources are produced elsewhere, at greater detriment to our planet and society. But that’s all right because our natural resource industries will continue to produce real wealth for everyone while setting and raising the standard for worldwide environmental practices, so we can all benefit instead of sitting around and worrying or complaining.

That is the real story. Gregory C. Coffin Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Media out to get their own way

During the recent election, the media again used undue influence upon the public to have voters elect candidates they felt would best serve their interests.

How was that accomplished? By taking undue advantage of a very gullible public people who believe the mere act of reporting political news qualifies media people as authorities on politics.

If that were true, by the same reasoning wouldn’t sports reporters become accomplished athletes by merely reporting sports events. Wouldn’t movie critics automatically become actors by merely reviewing movies?

It’s ludicrous to believe anyone can become a professional merely by observing and reporting. It takes time, dedication and hard work.

But there’s this scam the media continue to perpetrate through reporting and making political endorsements of candidates and parties, and taking stands on issues, usually in a way that suits their personal, political and business interests.

Isn’t it time for the media to return to their original and only true function, that or merely reporting - not creating - the news? Andy Kelly Spokane

Substance disabuse appreciated

The headline “Curses, garlic good only for bad breath,” caught my eye and brought a sense of amusement.

Over the years we hear all sorts of contradictory “evidence” regarding what this or that remedy will do for health and well-being, just as though there is some life substance in these various forms of matter (garlic, vitamin C, penicillin, etc.). We expect to find intelligence in matter but, lo, it eludes us at every hand and the research continues to change almost from day to day.

Another way of looking at the health and well-being of man is that we are spiritual beings, created in God’s image, and that real healing of mind, body and spirit, come in that consciousness.

This is not mind over matter but rather a process of awakening to our true identity, which is above and beyond all of the so-called laws of health or various types of mind control and hypnotism. Many are beginning to come to this realization and that is encouraging indeed. Tom Durst Spokane