Wawayanda Six verdict unjust

I witnessed the trial of the Wawayanda Six. Neither the prosecutor or Town Justice Tim McElduff disputed the testimony presented by world-renowned scientists that CPV’s power plant threatens public health, safety and welfare because it necessitates 150 fracked gas wells for its operation, plus 110 new wells annually to sustain the fuel supply. All that means air and water pollution, contamination and loss of life. Contrary to the “fake facts” CPV fed Wawayanda’s Planning Board, the plant infrastructure will emit more than 4.7 million tons of CO2, methane and other toxic, carcinogenic substances annually, more than twice what the air and water permits were based on. CPV will significantly increase global warming, climate change, catastrophic weather and cause illness, suffering and death to thousands of families costing taxpayers billions of dollars. CPV owners/investors go scot free.

McElduff based his guilty verdict on a technicality. In his judgment, the threat posed by CPV is not “imminent.” What is wrong with this “judgment”?

Merriam-Webster defines “imminent” as “ready to take place; hanging threateningly over one’s head.” Given the trial testimony, anyone with an ounce of common sense, understands that the threat posed by CPV is clearly “imminent.” McElduff’s verdict jails innocent environmental advocates.

Randolph Hurst

Slate Hill, NY

Shale gas is not a CO2 solution

In his letter in the July 13 edition of TRR, Charles Petersheim purports to debunk the statistics I presented in the July 6 issue, and describes my 2005-2009 time line as “cherry picked.” 

The carbon emissions/GHG (greenhouse gas) period referenced by Carol Roig in her June 8 column was 2005 to 2016. In my response to her column, and Petersheim’s letter, I pointed out that during this period CO2 emissions decreased approximately 14% (actually 13.7% in total). 

Here are the full, pertinent CO2 emissions/gas consumption data for 2005 to 2016 (I provided links in my original letter):

2005-2016 has a reduction of CO2 emissions that totals 13.7%

2005-2009 shows a CO2 emissions reduction of 9.4%, while there is no increased consumption of gas.

2010-2015 shows a decrease in CO2 emissions of 2.6%, while gas consumption increases almost 20% (22,910,078 mmcf (million cubic feet) as of 1/1/10 to 27,306,285 mmcf as of 12/31/15.)

2016 shows a decrease of CO2 emissions of 1.7%, while gas consumption increases only .0067%.

These figures are self explanatory. 

Increased consumption of shale gas was an insignificant cause of reduction in CO2 emissions in the U.S. between 2005 and 2016. 

See Carol Roig’s column in the July 13 TRR for an

explanation of the GHG impacts caused by fugitive (unburned) methane that escapes into our atmosphere during the extraction and transport phases associated with shale gas.

James Barth

Beach Lake, PA

Freedom vs. health care

First I want to wish everyone a happy summer. God bless you.

Often when people argue politics they just repeat whatever they see on CNN or other liberal media, as if those news stations are actually report real news or, as The Donald calls it, “fake news.” I pray for a real news station that provides unbiased factual info without endless opinions and political spins/leanings.

Obamacare/ACA and healthcare is a huge issue, and there is corruption and greed from politicians to big pharmaceutical companies and big insurance companies, and that is the core problem. However, Obamacare/ACA did not fix the problems, it worsened them, and the media (like CNN) has refused to truthfully cover this very real problem.

Do you remember when Congress passed Obamacare without reading the 1,000-page document? Do not be fooled or divided by the biased liberal media; it is not easy to create a good healthcare program for everyone, but I certainly do not want to sacrifice our freedoms and liberties to become like Europe or Scandinavia. America is great and our greatness comes primarily from God who our founding fathers put first. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all else will be added to you,” Matthew 6:33. These other countries that have better healthcare that the liberal media compares us to do not have the U.S. Constitution or our Bill of Rights, etc.

I lovingly and respectfully ask you the reader, do you want to sacrifice what makes America great just to have better healthcare?

I know we don’t have to sacrifice what makes America great to have better healthcare. I know we as Republicans and Democrats need to stop fighting and start finding common ground and tell our politicians to do the same.

John “JP” Pasquale

Livingston Manor, NY