As a retired 4J elementary school counselor, I understand parents at Camas Ridge School wanting a beautiful building that enhances the educational experience of their children. What I don’t understand is why they are not equally concerned and protesting the burning of methane gas in the new building. Methane negatively affects children’s present and future.
Why do architects continue to design public schools that hurt children’s health and compromise their future survival? We can do so much better. We can electrify everything while transitioning all energy to clean energy. Methane gas use is being phased out because the true costs to health, safety, climate and the financial risks are all too high.
Insist on your children’s (and the neighborhood’s) right to a beautiful building, but demand that the health and safety of your children are priorities. Burning methane is toxic to the atmosphere and poisons indoor air as well, affecting the lungs and hearts of breathing living things.
Parents, we must not get too caught up by the color and size of the picture frame. If what’s inside the frame is problematic, let’s focus on changing that. There is no place in the future for methane gas.
Let’s have a healthy fossil free future for our kids.
Debra McGee
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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