Letters for July 3, 2024

Natural gas makes sense

Many of the “solutions” to climate change proposed by the politically astute, but technically illiterate should be prefaced by “assume an infinite supply of clean electricity.”

A case in point is I-2066, the guest column (“Initiative may halt planning that aims to continue progress for state’s power needs , June 23), which failed to mention the many technical advantages of natural gas (essentially methane).

As fossil fuels go, it is by far the least harmful, producing only half the CO2 emissions of coal per unit of heat generated.

It is a renewable resource. Biogas, produced by the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge is a 50/50 mixture of CO2 and methane. New York City has vastly increased the amount generated by adding waste food to the process, thus solving another problem. The greatest benefit may eventually come from modifying our septic tanks to capture the catastrophic amounts of these greenhouse gases they vent into the atmosphere. The existing infrastructure can provide the necessary backup to the use of biogas.

It is an excellent fuel for internal combustion engines, with an octane number around 110.

Graham Andrews

Spokane

Vote Peetz for Spokane Valley

Brandi Peetz has worked tirelessly and joyously in supporting the community development of the Spokane Valley.

Her leadership style of uniting stakeholders and bringing people to the table is desperately needed to properly represent us in the bigger picture.

Vote for Peetz to ensure that our community’s needs are not forgotten.

Dusty Wetzler

Spokane

Stop messing with Opinion pages

For all your recent emphasis on making all “letters to the editor” locally relevant, you have done the opposite.

All your daily syndicated opinion columnists deal with (relevant) “national” issues, but you have excluded letters from local writers dealing with regional issues for roughly four out of seven days a week. At the very least, I take solace I can still read local contributors like Sue Lani Madsen, Ammi Midstokke, Stefanie Pettit and Cindy Hval, though I do miss Shawn Vestal.

My subscription to The Spokesman Review is mainly for the Opinion Page(s) and reading the letters reflecting neighborhood concerns – whether I agree with most or not. Sad to say, it has become a disappointment four out of seven days a week. As you know, every other section of the paper is easily available online – including your syndicated opinion writers.

It breaks my heart (and routine) to have to consider not renewing my subscription after 40-plus years. I believe in not messing with the Opinion pages like you believe in not messing with the comics strips or crossword puzzles. I hope you reconsider your strategy changes about this section.

Phil Zammit

Spokane

Balanced reporting needed

I guess there no longer is any question of The Spokesman-Review’s political ideology following reading the June 28 front page story (“An unmitigated disaster”) regarding the presidential debate.

Thanks for making it crystal clear the one-sided reporting we can expect as we move through the upcoming presidential election.

Heidi Peterson

Spokane

Keep felons out of White House

Federal law 18 U.S.C. 922 (g), and various state laws, including Washington state, prohibit a convicted felon from possessing a firearm inside or outside the home.

Now, many in the nation, including many here in Spokane, want to give control of the entire nuclear arsenal to a 34-time convicted felon.

Bill Todd

Spokane