Is it true that electricity is 100 percent clean? What about all of those electricity generating plants that rely on fossil fuels? What about nuclear power plants, the mining of uranium and its disposal once those plants are decommissioned? What about the mining of ores for copper and aluminum for the manufacture of wire, and the manufacturing of generators, turbines, towers, and other metals and plastics for all of the other parts and components that go into providing electricity?
Isn’t it true that electricity generation in the United States is the single largest contributor of CO2 emissions? As the city of Eugene phases out natural gas and phases in all electrical appliances, heating and cooling, won’t EWEB have to upgrade the electrical grid? Will EWEB pass on the costs of those upgrades to its customers? Will the city of Eugene force homeowners who currently rely on natural gas to switch to all electric? Isn’t it true that electricity is already more expensive than natural gas for heating and cooling and running appliances? Is it wise to give EWEB a monopoly on providing all of the city’s power needs? Do wind turbines and solar panels pay for themselves before the end of their useful lives? What about the costs of manufacturing them and maintaining them? What will happen to all of the existing infrastructure for natural gas once it is phased out?
Chuck West
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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