Tioga Herald

Dear Editors:

When I hear people putting down solar power and electric cars, I cringe at what I am hearing.  For instance, “What do we have electric cars for when the batteries run out, they need replacing, and there are few places to feed them electricity when on a trip.”  To which I asked the person to consider what life was like when we first began using internal combustion engines and there were few places available to put the gas in the vehicle.  The reply? “Well, then we could just use horse and buggies.”  Perhaps. Perhaps not.  The cost of maintaining horses, wagons, sleighs, and feeding the horses has to be considered, too.  What does one do when a horse dies? Replace it, right? Replace the battery in an electric car. 

And solar fields “are an eyesore.” Oh, really? Maybe so. But consider how accustomed we have become to seeing electric distribution systems or power lines, whether for distribution or the huge transmission lines. How about the cable and television lines we see strung on the poles? We don’t think of them as being “eyesores” because we have become accustomed to them.  In actuality, I don’t see solar fields as being any worse than such equipment we have had in the past. In fact, I would far prefer a solar power field on my own property than to have a power line which is up in the air and looks terrible in comparison.

Then, there are the Republicans in Florida who try to do the marching orders of Big Oil. They want to have offshore drilling off the coast of Florida. After the oil spills in other states along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, most people in Florida have been surveyed they don’t want to be threatened by oil spills along the coast of Florida. But no.  People like Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis, along with Donald tRUMP, don’t give one damn about what the people think, just what the marching orders are, coming down from Texas oil men and others in that industry.

Keystone Pipeline? Who the heck wants possible oil spills from that?  If you do, you are mentally ill. 

The development of alternative fuels such as solar or biomass have been sabotaged by Big Oil. Several reports in the media have discussed this aspect. These reports also indicate that American industry has negated the development of companies doing such development of alternative fuels (green energy) and thus have left the field open for many Chinese from COMMUNIST China to invest for the long-term in such ventures.  So, you complain about negating Big Oil, you are siding with the development for the long-term of the Chinese COMMUNISTS.  You are supporting efforts to continue to use Big Oil’s products, rather than being like an old-fashioned savings bank with savings accounts and saving oil reserves as a means of long-term savings!  Fossil fuels ARE going to run out. PERIOD. This is a fact.

So being worried about replacing a battery in an automobile is the words of idiots.  Excuse me for being so blunt and cruel and saying this. But what I hear is way too pervasive and it requires people like me to step up to the plate, as in the days of the Fairness Doctrine when a Fox News would be REQUIRED to provide an opposing viewpoint (that might just hold to facts, not lies and conspiracy theories).  The Fairness Doctrine was decided by a BIPARTISAN group (Democrats AND Republicans together) in order to protect America from the same type of fascist rule in which we had just fought a war in the 1940s and lost many American lives. 

For the future, we COULD aim to save lives in America by not setting the stage for a war to control the last remnants of oil on this earth, but put those in reserve for the future. For the future, we COULD aim for an America which is still powerful enough to control the new alternative energy forms and not allow the Chinese to take control. How about those who complain about electric cars and the batteries in them, just consider some of what I outlined? Just consider that car companies in Asia and North America are building and selling cars. So, the chances of developing more channels of distribution and repair WILL grow, so as to support these industries. 

Come on, Tioga County.  Stop being mesmerized by the marching orders from BIG OIL and followed by Trumpicans who seek a fascist government.  Come together with a little help from our community of friends who want the best for America’s future, both with energy AND environmental issues.