Listen to the voices
Listen to the voices of the living and the dead. Twelve million voices were silenced forever in Western Europe from 1939-1945. The struggle to save democracy has always required great sacrifice. Sadly, these numbers only speak of death and not children, women, men, the elderly, brave men and women who died. America spent 4.5 trillion on World War II. Sacrifice was required then and now to save the world from tyranny.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was on Feb. 24, 2022. Since that time, more than 20,000 Ukrainians have been killed or wounded, there have been 71,000 war crimes, and 1,500 educational facilities, 1,500 miles of road and 218 hospitals and health clinics have been destroyed, Millions are homeless. Their living voices are choked with tears and fear: 50% are women and girls, 23% are children, and of the millions that have left, 267,000 now live in the United States. To date, the U.S. has given Ukraine $75.17 billion and the European Union has contributed $35 billion joined by 11 other countries to save Ukraine. Democracy costs.
Some few in Congress challenge this crusade to save Ukraine and democracy. “No more blank checks,” says Kevin McCarthy. Some Republicans like McCarthy are highly critical of President Biden. Fortunately, other voices who are closer to the realities of war in Europe support Biden’s noble effort to save democracy. The president enjoys support in public opinion polls in Europe: Poland, 82% approval; Sweden, 74%; Netherlands, 67%; Germany, 64%; Belgium, 61%; United Kingdom, 56%; and France, 53%.
In today’s media and internet world, whenever I run across an avalanche of “facts,” I ask myself three questions: 1. Who collected them; 2. What was the motivation of the collector; 3. Are the facts mirrored by other media outlets?
As I listen to the global chorus of people who cherish freedom it is clear they understand and demand that we not waver in our support of Ukraine to save us from the tyranny of our time.
Stan Smith
Viola
The Bible and science
In his nearly weekly letters, Larry Kirkland sends us the same unremitting message in varying forms: God is great; the Bible reveals truth and answers all vital questions concerning life; science in general, and evolution in particular, is misleading and ought not to be trusted; so trust God and the Bible, not rational thought and science.
For example, in his latest letter, Feb. 25, Kirkland takes another opportunity to question the science of evolution, long past being a theory, writing, “There is no factual evidence supporting this belief [origin of life].” Evolution is “ridiculous,” but then in a remarkably disingenuous aside, declares, “The Bible answers the key questions of life and is consistent with science.” What? The Bible, written by uninformed men who believed the sun revolved around the earth and disease was caused by witches, is in accord with today’s biology, physics and astronomy?
All this is patently absurd and is repeated periodically in this newspaper.
What’s the purpose of this celebration of the Bible and the denigration of reason and science? Is Kirkland offering a public testimony of his fervent religious belief or is he trying to persuade secular souls of the error of their thinking?
Suggestion: For the sake of brevity and occupying space for others, just from time to time declare succinctly in print, God and the Bible are great and science sucks. Message sent. Nothing more needed.
Doug Hughes
Moscow
Stop at the signs
To all those that run stop signs in Pullman: You’re selfish, reckless and dangerous. Every day I witness people blowing through signs as if they don’t apply to them. Follow the rules of the road before you hurt someone.
Justin Marley
Pullman
Biodiesel plant coverage
Why has there been so little coverage in the Daily News about the proposed biodiesel plant along Wawawai Road in Pullman?
This is a project with the potential to do irreparable harm to the adjacent residential neighborhood and to the rest of the city.
The one article I saw that mentioned the proposal was focused on Jay Inslee’s support of the plant. While he might support the use of biodiesel, I suspect that he had little idea of the proximity of the proposed plant to residential areas.
Information on Nextdoor makes a compelling argument against the plant, including the risks to the environment, the high failure rate of such ventures, the redundancy of this proposal given the existence of other biodiesel manufacturers in the state, and the considerable negative economic impact that would result from probable failure.
Again, why isn’t the Daily News reporting on something with enormous city-wide implications?
Meg Kelley
Pullman
Editor’s note: Previous Daily News stories and editorial comment on the biodiesel plant can be found atthese shortened web links:bit.ly/3ylzEiN; bit.ly/3JdzgsV;bit.ly/3IyIdLu; and bit.ly/3y3lena.
Replacing megawatts
The four Lower Snake River dams combined have a power-generation capacity of 3,030 average megawatts, but annually produce on average only about 925 average megawatts due largely to a lack of water. According to the Inslee-Murray “Benefit Replacement Report,” power generated by the Lower Snake River dams must be replaced before these dams can be breached.
In its “2021 Power Plan,” the Northwest Power and Conservation Council reported that between 2018 and 2028, coal-fired power generation capacity serving the Pacific Northwest would decline from 7,000 average megawatts to 2,400. Four coal-fired plants were shuttered in 2020 alone. The council’s projected loss of 4,600 average megawatts represents the equivalent capacity of six Lower Snake River dams.
No governor or U.S. senator claimed this disappearing power must be replaced before the coal plants could be closed.
When energy suppliers identify a future need for additional power, they often post a “request for proposals.” In 2020, for example, PacificCorp requested bids for 4,300 average megawatts of renewable energy resources available by 2024. Bidders responded with proposed projects totaling 36,000 average megawatts — eight times the requested supply.
Bonneville Power Administration markets the power from 31 federal dams, most in the Columbia River Basin. If Bonneville posted a request for proposals for renewable energy equivalent to the power capacity of the Lower Snake River dams, the requirement for “replacement before breaching” would soon disappear. The Lower Snake River dams could then be breached, and wild Snake River salmon and steelhead begin their path to recovery.
Linwood Laughy
Moscow
