Why PG&E?
I am wondering why there is such an aggressive attitude towards PG&E after the horrific fires we have experienced. Nothing I discuss is in any way questioning or attempting to minimize the terrible losses experienced by thousands of our Northern California neighbors as a result of these terrible wildfires. I would like to define the causes of these wildfires in a manner that I believe most would not question. In simple terms these wildfires result from:
- Forest lands, brush, in other words “fuel” that is dry and ready to ignite. This fuel is ready to burn for many reasons: drought years (an act of God), excessive density due to stopping or preventing the controlled fires and cutting that properly “manage” the forests (an act of government and those of us that want to live in the forest and want no fires or cutting)
- Wind and low humidity. Most significant wildfires in northern or southern California occur when we have significant offshore winds (drying, blowing from land to sea). Low humidity, dry fuels waiting to burn, and gusty winds usually exceeding 50 mph create a perfect storm waiting for a spark.
- To be fair, I must acknowledge that many (almost half of our scientific community) believe that man-made Climate Change (aka Global Warming) has a significant influence on items 1 and 2 above. Climate Change could be either a result of Sun/natural activity (another act of God) or could be a result of our use of fossil fuels (aka driving a SUV). If this is a factor it could be God or us, but not PG&E.
- When we have the conditions described in 1 and 2 we are vulnerable for a wildfire. The dry fuel and dry winds are just waiting for a spark to provide combustion. An elderly lady with improperly installed electrical components created a spark and caused the deadly Tubbs Fire devastating parts of Santa Rosa. A failure on a trailer being towed by local citizens created a spark that caused the deadly Carr Fire in Redding. An improperly installed spa resulted in a spark that caused the deadly Valley Fire in Lake County. PG&E acknowledged that they had incidents with their power lines near Paradise that could have sparked the deadly Camp Fire, the final judgement is not yet available.
As the facts show, the originator of the “spark” is not totally responsible for the devastation, others causing the volatile conditions share in the blame (e.g. God). One could argue that someone or something will create a spark, sparks happen all the time, in most situations the spark (e.g. from your lawnmower) results in nothing, when the conditions are perfect (or terrible) the results are devastating. I have been a PG&E customer for 77 years, I only wish all companies I deal with have performed as well while providing critical services to all of us. Yes, I have called them on stormy nights to restore my power. Breaking up, or breaking down PG&E will likely result in less safety, poorer service, and higher rates.
—Ed Calkins, Kelseyville
Al and Alexandria
What do Al Gore and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) have in common? Neither has a degree in earth science. Therefore, we find them in the forefront of those determined to change the conduct of the world in order to save it from itself.
In her 29 years AOC has gotten around, from a bartender in Manhattan, starting a publishing a business, as lead educational strategist at a firm and on to Educational Director for the non-profit National Hispanic Institute. In the 2016 primary she worked as an organizer for Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign. After that she traveled across America by car . In route visiting places such as Flint, Michigan and Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota, and speaking to people in these areas. Of her visit to North Dakota, she says she saw others “putting their whole lives and everything that they had on the line for the protection of their community,” and that inspired her to begin to work for her own community.
With this background, yes, she has gotten around in her young life, but what seems to be lacking is any knowledge of science related to climate change.
Now we have been listening to Al Gore for many years. His years at Harvard read like a drop-in drop-out saga. He was recognized as a slow learner, and his grades would not make a parent proud.
It is recorded that “as a Harvard sophomore, scholar Al “earned” a D in Natural Sciences 6 in a course presciently named “Man’s Place in Nature.” That was the year he evidently spent more time smoking cannabis than studying its place among other plants within the ecosystem. His senior year, Mr. Gore received a C+ in Natural Sciences 118.”
If you have ever attended a program presented by one of Gore’s people who has attended his three-day Climate Reality Leadership Corps training, you want to be very careful about asking questions, because, if it is not in the script, you won’t get an answer. Ask them at what schools they have studied climate change and they will tell you they have been trained by Al Gore. Experienced this twice.
Gore’s project advertises, “Give us three days. We’ll give you the tools to change the world.”
Per AOC, Al should no longer jet around the world.
Now it is time to look at what a real scientist says. Ian Rutherford Plimer is an Australian geologist, professor emeritus of earth sciences at the University of Melbourne. His credentials are lengthy. You can look them up. You will note what I have quoted below, shows this gentleman is not only a renown scientist but he has a great sense of humor.
“I don’t really want to rain on your parade too much, but I should mention that when the volcano Mt Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in 1991, it spewed out more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than the entire human race had emitted in all its years on earth.
Yes, folks, Mt Pinatubo was active for over One year – think about it. Of course, I shouldn’t spoil this ‘touchy-feely tree-hugging’ moment and mention the effect of natural solar and cosmic activity, and the well-recognized 800-year global heating and cooling cycle, which keeps happening despite our completely insignificant efforts to affect climate change.”
I challenge all readers to really study what controls our climate, even look to the actual tilt of the sun.
—Leona M. Butts, Clearlake Oaks
