As we view and read unending news stories about the devastation wrought by climate change (wildfires, historic flooding, super-heated waters killing fish, record heat waves all over the world), it’s worth noting that the State of Illinois recently missed an historic opportunity to cut pollution that is a major cause of this problem.
Climate scientists the world over are saying that we must reduce carbon pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels that power our heating, cooling and transportation sectors. Renewable sources of energy are available right now that would reduce pollution and improve public health, but clean energy legislation that would have helped us reduce our reliance on dirty fossil fuels recently failed to pass the Illinois State legislature. How could we have missed this opportunity to clean our environment?
SEND LETTERS TO: [email protected]. Please include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be approximately 350 words or less.
Supporters of dirty fossil fuels say we need a “balanced” approach to energy policy. The truth is that the Illinois power grid is out of balance now. Clean renewable energy only accounts for 8 to 10% of Illinois energy production. This percentage is woefully inadequate and shows that we are failing to live up to our responsibility to give future generations healthy air to breath. If we are to be responsible stewards of our environment, we must pass legislation that insures we use more clean, renewable energy (solar and wind) to power our state. Failure to do so is to make a future clean up much more difficult for our children and grandchildren.
The Illinois state legislature must act as soon as possible to pass clean energy legislation that will create good jobs and clean our air and water.
Mark Kraemer, Wilmette
Following up on cop tips
As a frequent reporter of incidents to the Chicago Police Department’s TipSubmit website (new.tipsubmit.com), I’m frequently disappointed because nothing seems to get done. Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Police Supt. David Brown seem to agree with what Brown said earlier this week, that the police can’t solve crimes “alone” and need the public to “work with us.”
Yes, as reported on June 18 in the Sun-Times, the city for years sought “security fixes” at home where eight people recently were shot, “ut nothing was done.”
I can assure you this was not the only time a house was reported to the police for criminal activity and nothing was done. Though the narrative from City Hall is that residents don’t report problem locations, that’s certainly not the case in all situations. The four murders at that house might have been avoided had reports to the police actually been acted upon.
Michael Pearson, Englewood
All public schools require multiple vaccinations when registering children for classes. This is for the sake of protecting all children. If you don’t feel your child should have to comply, send them to a private school. It’s that simple.
Edwina Jackson, Washington Heights
Ultra-right are not conservatives
Why does the media describe the ultra-right or “alt-right” as conservatives? What do they conserve? They certainly aren’t interested in conserving civil rights, human rights or our planet.
When House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy “joked” about hitting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a gavel, he was not being conservative; he was pandering to his base, the Republican Party’s motley crew of far-rightists, white supremacists, white nationalists, neo-fascists and advocates of violence. All those people whom the previous occupant of the White House helped his party solidify.
They should be described as far-right, ultra-right, or alt-right — definitely not as “conservatives.”
Muriel Balla, Hyde Park
