In your face climate change

Everyone I know today will have every right to be furious with me 20 years from now. They’ll say, “Laura, you talked about climate change decades ago. You knew how serious it was when we still had a chance to act! Why didn’t you speak out more strongly?” And I’ll say, “I didn’t want to lose your friendship. I didn’t want to alienate myself. I was raising my child. I tried to tell you, but you were too busy. You didn’t want to know.” And they’ll say, “You should have made us realize, you should have pounded on our door at midnight, you should have got up in our faces, you should have marched with a megaphone down every street!” And I will see their grief, and feel my own, and know that they are right. Unless, of course, something big changes quickly. So, I’m asking everyone I know, and everyone I don’t know: Help me rise to the task. Help to wake our beautiful sleeping collective consciousness. Simply say the words to everyone you can, as often as possible, “I’m urgently concerned about climate change.” Invite others to talk about it, too. Please, don’t delay. When we build the buzz of conversation loud enough, it will spark action and change. In the meantime, I’ll get out my megaphone.

— Laura Friedland-Kays

Northampton

Trump is already abusing US

I have to object vehemently to the foolish letter that claimed presidential candidate Donald Trump will not mistreat people, (“Letter to the Editor,” March 10-16, 2016). He mistreats our country with his racist, xenophobic, and nasty words. His clothing line is made in China, instead of here, making him a traitor who supports a Communist regime over American workers. Speaking of, he has exploited workers at his hotels. He is not a good man, nor someone I want near that red button. He is very dangerous. Make sure you vote to keep Trump out of the White House.

— Kathy Mullins

Chicopee

Build East Springfield biomass plant now

There is lots of room for more biomass plants in Massachusetts and across the country. As a consulting forester in my own business helping my landowner clients manage thousands of acres across the state, I support more utilization of forest biomass. Biomass is in essence stored solar energy. Wood sourced from private woodlots comes from well-managed forests. Increasing markets for biomass has allowed for more forest improvement cuttings, which helps landowners: manage their forests to a high standard by improving the timber quality and species composition of the forest while enhancing wildlife habitat; earn revenue; and keep their land in forest. It also provides many real green jobs right up the wood supply chain and provides many different forest products for consumers and a source of clean renewable energy. Unlike the forest-and-field-destroying solar “farms” or the mountain-ecosystem-destroying wind “farms,” clean renewable biomass is good for our environment.

The speculation that biomass emissions increase asthma rates because of additional particulate pollution is false. Modern biomass plants are very efficient, clean burning, and well within strict EPA standards. In addition, a peer-reviewed study conducted by the prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital found no statistically significant difference between those who live in the city where particulate pollution is greater and those who live in rural areas where it is much less. Instead, researchers concluded that poverty is a greater predictor for higher asthma rates than outdoor air pollution and that it is indoor air pollution such as second hand smoke, the use of chemical cleaners, other pest allergens, and more air tight housing, which traps more pollutants indoors that are the main causes of higher asthma rates.

The use of wood for energy is carbon neutral as long as the forests are growing faster than they are being cut. In Massachusetts, forests are growing three times as fast as they are being cut. The EPA has also determined that wood energy will be allowed as part of the Clean Power Plan as long as the wood is derived from sustainably managed forests.

Replacing imported fossil fuels with locally produced wood energy is good for our economy and for the environment and that is why more people support clean renewable wood energy. The proposed biomass plant in East Springfield has gone through eight years of litigation and has all its permits. Enough is enough. Build the plant now!

— Mike Leonard,  Consulting Forester North Quabbin Forestry