Letters for Feb. 1, 2023
GeoNetwork
Avista is spending millions of dollars to replace hundreds of miles of aging gas pipelines. The new pipes will last 50 years, well beyond when we need to get past fossil fuels.
There is a very efficient, zero-pollution solution that is starting up in Massachusetts and New York. This solution relies on tried and true low technology that networks underground heat pumps that pick up heat and distribute it into heat exchangers in homes. Call it a GeoNetwork. This needs to be done by utilities (Avista) because they have the right of ways in streets, trained workforce, customer relations, access to capital and they are already large companies to undertake constructing the networks.
Presently Avista is not allowed to do this until the Legislature expands the definition of a gas utility to include becoming a provider of (renewable) thermal energy. There is a process in motion that could allow piloting a GeoNetwork. It is part of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission investigation of pathways for gas utilities to decarbonize. Their report is due to the Legislature by June 1. For more about GeoNetwork, read Emily Moore and Laura Feinstein’s article published by the Sightline Institute.
Jerry White Sr.
Spokane
Classified documents
I suspect that a detailed search of any person’s home who had security clearances will find secret or classified documents filed in with related regular papers, since everybody when they get done with a topic
or project, puts all the related papers into storage files and stores them.
This doesn’t excuse the negligence, just points out the need for better training and discipline in the business.
Eric Johnson
Spokane
Culture wars
Thirty-three mass shootings in 23 days and the GOP is howling about M&M’s. They won’t support the Ukraine, yet never fail to engage in the silliest of culture wars.
Patrick Conley
Colville
Purse confiscation at Opera House
I attended the Jan. 21 showing of “The Temptations” at the Opera House and found they needed to confiscate all women’s purses larger than 6.5-by-4.5 inches and trade them in for a plastic bag, which seems a discriminating, ridiculous and purposeless procedure for us to go through and then have to go through the metal screener! As COVID no longer requires official precautions and 95% of the public shootings are done by men, I am extremely incensed at this mandatory process! Not to mention the time it takes to retrieve their purses after the play is finished!
Sally Starlin
Spokane
‘Woke’
I have a different impression of the word “woke.” I think it is reminiscent of a person that is awakened and is incoherent after a drunk or doped stupor.
Deann Decaire
Spokane