Re-emergence of an old disease
Wendy Brown’s cartoon tossed some humour into an otherwise humourless subject [September 18].
It’s fine to have fond memories and a respect for the strength and endurance of former generations and the hardships they encountered. But, in today’s society, where smoking is largely banned because of health concerns, I find it strange that sucking up and inhaling a never-ending steady supply of coal dust isn’t a huge concern for the proponents of the coal expansion facilities on Texada Island.
Modern society has enough mental and physical illnesses to contend with. So, why re-enact the lives of those from the cold dead past by triggering off another cycle of the diseases that were prevalent in those times?
Depending on the choices we make, everything that is old can be made new again, and that includes ugly diseases from another time.
Carmen Ward
Hillcrest Avenue
Space and digital divide
At last, a good idea for the use of the old arena site. Thank you Sheryl Clark for your suggestion for a labyrinth, a walking prayer circle [“Opinion on the library,” September 25].
A carrot to Powell River Public Library for winning the 2013 Council of the Federation Literacy Award for BC. The stick for them involves diddling around with multiple location site searches and spending more money to evaluate them. There is only one good site for the library. It is next to the police station across from the Town Centre Mall.
The library can not now sit on its well-deserved literacy awards. It, and the City of Powell River, must focus on using their proven networking skills (new business networks create new business opportunities) to reduce “digital divide” issues. They can extend their use of volunteers and introduce wide based skills training, supported by existing new Internet-based technologies, to help Power River residents become more productive members of our rapidly changing society. Literacy alone is no longer enough in today’s faster-paced world. This will contribute toward the economic development and long-term sustainability of Powell River.
Use of a digital mature strategy will result in a very different and more economically practical civic building requirement at this site. Let us save time and money and focus on the use of our library as one important component of a new citizen-centric portal building to assist the digital future of Powell River.
Most agree the library needs to get out of its present location, as soon as possible. A transition plan is for them to go from their future location across Barnet Street into Town Centre Mall and temporarily operate as a storefront library.
Tom Hobbs
Butedale Street
Bridge to reconciliation
Reconciliation with ourselves and nature is, at this time, the most important step in human evolution.
On Sunday, September 22, about 200 people from all walks of life joined together at Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation to take part in a reconciliation ceremony [“Walk aims to build bridges,” September 18]. As first nations honour their ancestors, we must learn to honour and atone for ours. Our ancestors came from brutal regimes. The abused too often learn to abuse, and our ancestors became very good at it. The abuse still goes on. It is time to “bury the hatchet” and create a world of enlightened spirit in this economic frenzy.
All churches were invited to attend. Only one church replied to the invitation and sent representatives. I urge our spiritual leaders to learn about reconciliation from the first nations people, and then teach your congregations the significance of this invitation and, most importantly, examine your failure to respond.
Next time our community is graciously invited to attend, let’s leap at the opportunity to join in the creation of a co-existing, compassionate world for the future.
Susan Jersak
Ontario Avenue
Thermal coal boom busting
Proposals to dramatically ramp up exports of United States’ thermal coal through BC and Washington ports have raised substantive public debate on both sides of the border [“Rural directors support coal expansion,” September 18]. Despite the real adverse impacts on human health and our environment, it seems our provincial and federal governments would like to avoid any democratic public input into the process and simply accede to corporate interests.
An honest public debate would demonstrate that plans to ship US thermal coal through Fraser Surrey Docks and to Lafarge Canada Inc.’s Texada Island facility are both environmentally and economically risky.
Mining is a boom and bust industry. High commodity prices drive high extraction rates before a boom goes bust. Some commodities bounce back from bust because there are no realistic substitutes. Metallurgical coal, critical to steel making, will rebound from future boom-bust cycles. Not so for thermal coal, which is burned for electrical generation. Increasingly, there are economic and more environmentally benign substitutes.
Thermal coal, which is passing into bust, may have seen its last boom. Savvy analysts at Goldman Sachs and the World Bank are warning investors away from thermal coal. Why? Tighter environmental regulations and emission standards, waning demand from US, European and Asian markets and improved energy economics from sources such as natural gas and renewables, particularly solar, may keep much thermal coal in the ground. This is good for the planet.
Mining and transportation infrastructure is expensive, requiring decades for economic payback. The current rush to build thermal coal export facilities at West Coast ports is shortsighted given projections for thermal coal demand and prices.
Thermal coal is a low-value commodity. Massive infrastructure investments and extraction volumes and minimized costs, for equipment, labour, safety or environmental protection, determines thermal coal economics. Tighter margins will increase risks. The industry is gambling with our health and environment. That’s wrong.
Jef Keighley
Alliance 4 Democracy—Sunshine Coast
Halfmoon Bay, BC
