I want to thank Linda Perrine for her Viewpoint piece (EW, 7/18) and her activism with 350.org. I applaud her efforts. Having said that, I wish to share some things not commonly understood about addressing climate change.
Even though this issue has been widely known for 30 years, the human family is burning more fossil fuels than ever before. This is because fossil fuels provide an extremely useful, compact energy density that solar and wind do not.
Try pushing your car the distance you can drive on one gallon of gasoline. Amazing! There are countless things we do with fossil fuels that are far less easily achieved with solar and wind generated electricity.
It is for this reason that the personal responsibility Perrine alludes to is not enough. Some may voluntarily drive less, etc., but most will not.
For this reason, we need leaders who will actually lead and force the dramatic and sweeping changes in our world that meaningfully addressing climate change calls for. People will complain bitterly, but they need to be told: “Here’s what we’re doing, and this pallet of document boxes is the scientific research supporting our decision. So, please stop shouting and start reading.”
Robert Bolman
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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