Resilient grids
Apparently, Terry Jarrett (“Opinion: Heatwaves proof coal, fuel are workhorses,” July 16) the “vitality lawyer and marketing consultant” has by no means heard of battery storage techniques. The writer cherry picks a single sweltering day to vilify renewables, but conveniently ignores how wind and photo voltaic paired with battery storage outperforms coal vegetation throughout peak demand surges. To not point out that coal vegetation are vanishing as a consequence of market forces.
As well as, fossil gasoline infrastructure typically crumbles throughout excessive climate occasions. Bear in mind Texas’s winter freeze debacle when fuel vegetation froze strong whereas wind generators saved spinning?
Constructing resilient grids requires diversified vitality portfolios, strong transmission networks, and storage options. Stubbornly prioritizing polluting fossil fuels whereas our solely house burns represents harmful shortsightedness.
Jonathan Quint
Goffstown, NH
Tobacco ban
Proponents of a Generational Tobacco Ban, a scheme meant to result in whole tobacco and nicotine prohibition in Massachusetts, say it will save the state medical prices related to tobacco use (“Generational tobacco ban proposed,” July 16). It will do no such factor.
These activists fail to think about that nonsmokers, in the event that they stay lengthy sufficient, inevitably will fall sick and require medical therapy, maybe much more costly than that of people who smoke. Additionally, long-living nonsmokers probably will want pricey nursing house care that people who smoke who die prematurely don’t.
This explains why, regardless of the current U.S. smoking charge being a fraction of what it was within the Seventies, the nation’s per capita medical expenditures since then have risen sevenfold.
Stephen Helfer
Cambridge
Fossil fuels
In an op-ed, Chris Talgo of the Heartland Institute says he hopes extra states observe Louisiana’s lead in passing new laws that favors fossil fuels and impedes the event of renewable vitality (“Talgo: Louisiana’s vitality technique reveals the best way,” July 13). However latest opinion polls say Louisianans aren’t on board with the brand new regulation.
Sturdy majorities of these polled in 2024 need extra wind vitality (59%) and extra photo voltaic vitality (72%) of their state. A majority additionally stated that shifting away from fossil fuels will enhance air and water high quality, and a strong plurality needs the state to do extra to mitigate the consequences of local weather change.
Even in a really pink state, the individuals are bored with the fossil gasoline corporations calling all of the pictures. Right here in Massachusetts, I hope we don’t observe Louisiana in its legislative campaign in opposition to clear vitality. On the contrary, I assist laws that may create a local weather superfund to get better damages from the companies which have profited from promoting fossil fuels they knew would warmth the local weather. We will have a clear vitality future.
Frederick Hewett
Cambridge
