Dear Jerry [“Power to the People,” March 7]: The commissioners blew it!
Last week I bought (in Ingles) a box of organic cereal made by Post, a major corporation. And the reason I could do this was because 35 to 40 years ago, the hippie-freaks of that day rejected establishment values in favor of more meaningful lifestyles. Vegetarianism, macrobiotics, alternative health care and organic gardening, once on the fringe, are now in mainstream vocabulary.
Twenty years from now [Jerry’s] “eco-freaks” will be the precursors of zero-emissions buildings and sustainable practices, as the traditional building materials of today become too costly or are unavailable. I wouldn’t mind living in a straw-bale house, especially [since] I found out they even have flush toilets! (I think Jerry needs to go on a green-house tour!)
What a different story it would be today if the commissioners had opened up the issue of energy to the public. We could have had a cross-pollination of ideas by the business and environmental communities that could have served as a model for other regions. Big business is finally getting it: In Texas, eight coal-burning plants were cancelled in favor of renewable energy sources.
There are a lot of us who are willing to change and not just shop, and opposing this energy plant is an example of positive energy to engage all parties in a sustainable future.
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