Go nuclear, go green

Editor:
Finally, a voice of sanity rising above the climate hysteria. Kudos to the Park Record for publishing Allison Cook’s fact-filled “Guest editorial: Affordable, clean energy is readily available in the form of nuclear power” (May 2, 2019).

To those interested in mitigating carbon, no serious solution can exclude clean, green nuclear power. Not only does history prove nuclear is safer than any other energy source(!), physics dictates that nuclear is the only clean energy that scales sufficiently to support humankind.

To those interested in preserving the environment, serious solutions must minimize the sprawl & harm to wildlife of wind & solar—not to mention the looming recycling challenge when billions of solar panels & their toxic constituents reach end-of-life.

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Who knew how minimal the radiation release was from Three Mile Island and Fukushima? Zero human casualties—no immediate deaths, and epidemiological studies suggest not a single cancer will result.

It’s tragic that the term “renewable” excludes one of the most clean, green energy sources of all: nuclear power.

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Green energy in the of nuclear power oughtn’t be a political issue.

Ms. Cook doesn’t tread into the political minefield of the so-called Green New Deal, but I will. The GND conspicuously fails to cite nuclear power. For that reason (among myriad others), the GND is not a serious proposal.

A lead editorial last week in WSJ reviews the energy proposal from a U.S. presidential candidate. The editorial closes with this: “Two words nowhere to be found in Mr. O’Rourke’s plan for a carbon-free future? Nuclear power.” That is, his isn’t a serious proposal, either.

Learn more about our need for nuclear power from Allison’s fact-filled, apolitical essay.

Jimmy May
Park City

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A big thank you

Editor:
This is a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who helped initially create and now help to maintain Run-a-Muk! Thank you to all of you who fill the holes in the parking lot, who laid the large walking stones and gravel so that us dog owners don’t have to get as muddy as our pets, and to all of you dog walkers that pick up more than your fair share! Let’s Keep America beautiful!

Joanne O’Connell
Park City

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Energy act would pay dividends

Editor:
I have been concerned about global warming and the steady increase of carbon dioxide, CO2, which is being added to our atmosphere for many years. The level of CO2 in our atmosphere is greater by 33% than anytime in the last 800,000 years. The level of CO2 is associated with the increase of the average atmospheric temperature due to CO2’s ability to absorb heat radiated by the land. The level of CO2 on April 20, 2019, recorded at the observatory in Hawaii was 414.52.

The best solution I have seen is H.R. 763, which is now been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. This is called the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. The concept is a fee on CO2 and other gases added to the atmosphere which absorb these infrared rays, and the money collected is returned to the citizens of the United States as a dividend.

Putting a greater cost on the adding of “greenhouse gases” to the atmosphere is the best solution that I have seen. Please write your congressional representatives to support this bill.

Susan Harrington
Kamas

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Check out the Egyptian

Editor:
Did you know there is the Mary G. Steiner Egyptian Theatre on Main Street? The Egyptian Theatre is a local gem. Other than abandoned mine shafts, it is one of the very few legitimate ties to Park City’s history AND it provides locals and visitors with first-class entertainment.

Check it out. The Egyptian provides us with top-end musical acts (many yester year bands), musical and dramatic plays, stand-up comedy, dance ensembles, etc., all in a beautiful, well-maintained, historic theater.

As Parkites, we need to support this magnificent nonprofit operation as it is our history and it continues to entertain us nearly 100 years later.

Parkites, you are the Egyptian. We are the Egyptian. Check it out.

Carl Piccarreta
Park City

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A bright idea

Editor:
I read with great pleasure not one but two articles about all that the school system is doing for Latinx high school students. Latinos in Action and Bright Futures are such commendable programs. Let’s hope in 5 years or so that the Latinx students are more savvy due to the work of The Solomon Fund. We raise funds to get Latinx children in grades K-5 into sports and recreation activities. We do NOT do this just for the entertainment value. Our raison d’être is to integrate these children into the community. It is our belief that when these children play together and become friends, that they will pick up what is important to each other’s families. Before high school, these children will be exposed to other children who are already thinking ahead. This is a true story: in second grade my child and a friend were discussing if they would get their PhD’s at Yale. (My child got theirs at USC.) Sorry I regressed.

So please stay tuned, learn more about what we do, and aren’t we lucky to live in Park City where we all care about each other and do all we can to help others in circumstances different from our own.

Beano Solomon
Park City

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Mothers Day for mother cows

Editor:
Mother’s Day, on May 12th, celebrates the cherished bond between mother and child. But mother cows, very icons of motherhood, never get to see their own babies.

Newborn calves are torn from their mothers at birth and turned into veal cutlets, so we can drink the milk that was meant for them. The grief-stricken mother cows bellow for days, calling in vain for their return.

Dairy cows spend their lives chained on concrete floors, with no access to the outdoors. Each year, they are impregnated artificially, to maintain production, and milked by machines twice a day. When production drops, around four years of age, they are ground into hamburgers.

Dairy products are laden with cholesterol, saturated fats, hormones, pathogens, and antibiotics, leading to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Most African and Asian Americans lack the enzyme for digesting dairy products.

But help is on the way. Food manufacturers throughout the world are developing excellent nut and grain-based dairy products. U.S. sales alone are expected to exceed $2 billion.

This Mother’s Day, let’s honor motherhood and compassion. Let’s replace the products of cow misery with delicious, healthful, cruelty-free plant-based milk, cheese, and ice cream products offered by our supermarket.

Sincerely,

Paxton Ryker
Park City

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Never doubt dedicated students

Hi. I’m Sonja Preston. I am part of a group of students at both McPolin Elementary school, Treasure Hill Jr. High, and the Highschool. Together, we have raised awareness within and outside of our schools. We have gone to Summit County council meetings and written editorials for this paper. Our goal is simple: Ban plastic bags in Summit County. You can save 1,460 plastic water bottles every year just by using a reusable water bottle. That’s over 40 pounds of plastic saved just by bringing your water bottle everywhere you go. So consider how much plastic we would save if we banned plastic bags in Summit County. Hundreds or thousands of pounds annually. Just this small ban could have such a huge impact. We can all do small things to help prevent this environmental crisis. It’s such a cliche saying, but it’s true. Write an editorial like this one and submit it to the Park Record, bring a reusable water bottle wherever you go, buy a notebook with rock paper instead of paper made of trees. As Margaret Mead said: “Never doubt that a small group of dedicated citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Sonja Preston
McPolin Elementary School

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There is pride in your park

Editor:
On Saturday 5/4 Recycle Utah (RU) hosted our annual Pride in Your Park spring community cleanup. We had a record turnout of volunteers and removed over 200 bags of trash and litter from our community.

I volunteered with Recycle Utah to help plan this event. I would like acknowledge the generous sponsorship by Comcast Cares, the support of Summit County and Park City Municipal, the participation of Mayor Andy Beerman, City Council Members Tim Henney, Steve Joyce, Nann Worel, local businesses and schools and of course the 268 volunteers who made Saturday a “super” success. Thank you all for caring about our community!

David Nicholas
Recycle Utah volunteer

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