Here are letters we received regarding the February issue. Some edited versions appeared in the March print edition.

People under pressure

Read “Prices Under Pressure” in January Electric Consumer and also listened to an REMC speaker within the last six months at our organization’s meeting.  It appears to me that electric utility leaders are wringing their hands, not knowing what to do, complaining how bad things are and how our prices are going up, and taking whatever is dished out from the government with no backbone and no real resistance.

We are going to have to spend all kinds of money on new gadgets, get by on the bare minimum of electricity, pay a lot more, and enjoy it less.  May as well go back to the old west days; at least things were simpler; and we wouldn’t have all the stress!

Again, the people must come to the rescue and put all the pressure on the government.

The Shrewsburys
Sellersburg, Ind.
 

Thanks for warning

Thanks so much for the timely article in your February issue, “BE PREPARED FOR WINTER STORMS”. When the Winter Storm Warnings for the first few days of February came up on Fort Wayne TV channels, we remembered your article, went back and referenced it, and followed most of your guidelines.

Our family made it through just fine being housebound for a few days.  Although we never lost power, we were well prepared if we had lost it.

Thanks again!

Jane Van Haften
Warren, Indiana
      

Wind mandates have a role

I found it sadly irresponsible for you to have summarily dismissed proposed mandates requiring 20 percent of our electricity to be produced by wind by 2030.

Any business worth its salt has a plan and goals going forward. Many who work for these business initially contend they are unreachable yet more often than not, they are met. Not having a goal or a plan would be a huge mistake. The status quo is not acceptable to any reasonably intelligent person. Individual energy conservation simply will not get the job done.

Is wind the answer? Truth is, it will likely be a smaller player as our technology needs to continue to work for better methods, but it can and should have a role, if only as a step towards the “better” solution.
 
I also found it equally irresponsible that you chose to publish the letter titled, “Carbon Dioxide Just as Necessary as Oxygen” as its premise is dangerous and seriously flawed. CO2 is a very important part of life,  but as in most things, too much of it can be toxic. The problem with CO2 is not that it is unrecognized as  necessary for life, but that it’s levels in our atmosphere now considerably exceed any known levels in the  measurable history of man. Plant life is not able to keep up, thus the rising levels and the warming of the earth. Our polar icecaps themselves provide the evidence of the rising levels of CO2. They should not be  ignored. This letter, for far too many people, will become another sound bite to add to their debates with respect to global warming. Why? Because most folks simply do not have the time or inclination to become  educated on the subject themselves, yet they will hold this as fact.
 
Steve Webb
Georgetown, Ind.

Thanks RECs for helping folks save money

A person would think an REC would want you to buy more and more electric from them and not help us save money. That`s more money in their pockets right?

Again the REC is giving us a free energy seminar, light bulbs that save energy, etc. I truly appreciate that and the February edition with info on Energy Tax Credits. I found ways to help my builders who buy the building and construction supplies from me. With the new building codes coming in Indiana soon it is important to keep updated on what will be needed through them networks.

John Marks,
Celestine, Ind.

‘Missive’ on CO2 misses critical fact

Mr. Cates' missive has neglected a critical fact: “The dose makes the poison” (Paracelsus). His reasoning is nonsense: sulfur, too, is fundamental for all life, and too much of it will kill all life. Anti-government vitriol and spurious half-truths are no substitute for conclusions based on scientific research.

Electric Consumer did no one any favors by printing this denialist claptrap. Unless 98 percent of the world’s scientists are wrong (is that a bet any sane, knowing person would take?),  CO2 emissions must be severely curtailed or Earth’s climate will become largely inhospitable to human habitation.  

Nathan Pate
Paoli, Ind.