Monday, July 05, 2010
We have much to gain from clean energy
Letters to the Editor
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From the RoundTable blog
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We have much to gain from clean energy
The oil spill crisis and residents of the gulf deserve nothing less than a comprehensive solution that prevents this from occurring again. President Obama made this clear in his Oval Office speech when he called on Congress to pass comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation.
In his Oval Office speech, Obama said "the tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now. Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash American innovation and seize control of our own destiny."
As a student at Virginia Tech, I feel my generation has the most to lose from our continued reliance on fossil fuels. We also have the most to gain from a new clean-energy economy. By making a commitment to clean energy in America, we create 1.9 million new jobs nationwide and 50,000 in Virginia.
Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb need to support strong climate and clean energy legislation without delay -- and make sure the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster never happens again.
New York City isn't handicap friendly
I recently visited New York City in a power wheelchair, and the wheelchair sidewalk access ramps are in horrible condition. There are potholes at the end of most ramps and some sidewalks don't have any access ramps at all.
There were times that I had to ride in the traffic just to get to another block with access ramps. I got stuck in several potholes, and there is seldom anyone there to help you. I wrote to the mayor and the governor but neither one responded.
If you are in a wheelchair and are planning to visit NYC, please be aware of the situation. NYC's motto should be "A great place to visit as long as you are not disabled."
Some appreciation for mountain conservation
Ever since the mound of earth Roanokers call Mill Mountain was created, it has been changing through natural processes of growth and renewal that characterize living organisms.
The first humans in this valley could look to this mountain for inspiration. Today, hospital patients and residents in assisted living facilities can look to the city's mountain for help. One researcher found that hospital patients who can see trees healed faster than those who cannot.
We should thank the Roanoke City Council for approving a conservation easement for most of Mill Mountain so that future generations will have access to this wonderful resource for learning about and actively enjoying nature while they're young and strong -- and for passively drawing strength from the mountain when they're old and infirm.
Let's hope that decision-makers will never permit on the unprotected acres of this rare, natural, publicly owned mountaintop any building that could be constructed elsewhere.
Creative developers can find within the city other sites for erecting comfortable, imaginative and beautiful structures in which residents and visitors can live and labor, play and pray.
Since inanimate structures cannot renew themselves but gradually decay and disappear, humans can continue to restore or replace buildings without destroying natural resources.
Reverse the purpose of the D-Day Memorial
The public sentiment mounted in the past few weeks against the continued display of the Josef Stalin bust at the National D-Day Memorial is sufficient to justify its immediate removal.
As many writers have implied, the memorial was conceived to honor only the men and women who planned and executed Operation Overlord, i.e., the Army, Navy, Merchant Marine and Air Force including medical and other support activities.
It seems that at the outset a purpose statement should have been in place to guide those in bringing the memorial to fruition. Maybe there was. But what starts out as an idea for a horse on the drawing board often ends as a camel when placed in the hands of a committee. This seems to be the case here.
What started as a D-Day Memorial has somehow metamorphosed into a World War II memorial. But any problem can be corrected, and I believe the Stalin bust issue will be dealt with as the new president picks up the reins.
The memorial is an incomparable asset to Bedford. No one can walk among the displays and not be moved by what happened on June 6, 1944. That it should be a D-Day Memorial, exclusively, is paramount.
