Letters to the Editor (2) - August 09 2006
Fossil fuels, hepatitis C, Surf Fest??
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
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So you publish a huge article on the harm produced by burning fossil fuels for energy (cover story, “In the hot seat,” Aug. 3), and very little about nuclear energy as a reasonable alternative? I just saw one two-sentence paragraph: “environmentalists won’t allow it.”
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If burning coal and other fossil fuels is causing global warming, and nuclear energy is too nasty to even contemplate, will someone please tell me how many solar panels and/or windmills it will take to fully power some tiny piece of real estate like, oh, I don’t know ... Manhattan? No, not solar power for individual buildings, but the entire city. Solar panels on all the rooftops of every building in that city wouldn’t come close to full energy (think something at least the size of maybe Connecticut).
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Also, the population of this country isn’t going to drop from 300 million to 50 million anytime soon, so if people are really serious and concerned about global warming, they are going to have to accept some form of nuclear energy. Everyone’s favorite “progressive” country, France, uses 75 percent nuclear energy (Sorry folks, I just looked it up). Solar, wind and other clean renewable energies are great on small scales (I would like to install some solar panels on my house), but they can’t meet the needs of large populations.
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Concerns over global warming will fall on deaf ears until some percentage of nuclear energy is accepted by the same people who bemoan global warming.
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-- Brant McCanless, Atlanta
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H.E.A.L. THE WORLD
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I just read your article, “Musicians to Avoid” (Real Life Top Five, Aug. 3), and I take great offense at your statement, “Kid Rock: He used to date Pamela Anderson, so if you give him a bloody nose you run the risk of catching hepatitis C.”
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As a hepatitis C patient myself and president of a nonprofit organization called H.E.A.L.S of North Georgia (<a href=”<a href=”www.healsofnga.org</a>”%3Ehttp://www.healsofnga.org/”>www.healsofnga.org</a>%3C/a%3E”>http://www.healsofnga.org/”>www.healsofnga.orghttp://www.healsofnga.org/”>www.healsofnga.org</a>;), I want you to know that uneducated comments like this do more harm than good to educate the public about the FACTS on hepatitis C. H.E.A.L.S stands for Hepatitis Education Awareness and Liver Support, and I would be negligent if I didn’t try to educate you.
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Hepatitis C is only transmitted blood-to-blood, so unless you hit Pam Anderson with an open cut on your hand and she bleeds into it (instead of Kid Rock) you certainly are not going to catch hepatitis C.
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-- Pam Langford, Tallahassee, Fla.
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PLUGGING AWAY
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Hey, thanks for the mention in your article on the Clarkston Surf Fest (Scene & Herd, “Elvis, Christmas, dating,” Aug. 3)! I’m the non-surf acoustic guitarist who opened the show. It was really great seeing my name in the newspaper (in a good way, heh)! I’ve just started performing solo recently (though I’ve been playing for a looong time), and getting the mention from you is a thrill.
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-- Randy Duke, Rex, Ga.
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A JOB WELL DONE
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Extraordinarily well-done piece on the insightful untold story of Eric Rudolph (cover story, “A hero in his own eyes,” July 27). Your truly exceptional journalistic talents were on full display in this article. And Mr. Edelstein, it seems that all of the CL cover stories over the last several months have been very well written. Not coincidentally, I’ve been eating lunch over the last several months at a new Cumberland Parkway (Muss & Turner’s) spot that now offers your previously unavailable publications. Not sure what’s more enjoyable — their great food or your newspaper.
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You guys have raised the bar to heights that AJC writers will never come close to reaching.
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-- John T. Micha, Atlanta