Letters: Desalination would only make water more costly, not solve shortage
Desalination won’t end water shortage
Re “Scrap high-speed rail” (Letters, Dec. 28): Don Anderson’s letter advocates scraping the bullet train and using the money for desalination plants in Southern California.
Our water problems have been caused by drought, which is a symptom of global warming. One of the causes of global warming is our dependence on burning fuel for transportation.
Desalination would exacerbate the problem. It takes 1,500 kilowatt-hours to produce a million gallons of desalinated water. That’s a lot of carbon being put into the atmosphere.
The solution to global warming isn’t to make more air conditioners, and the solution to our water problems isn’t to make costly water. We do need dependable, efficient, clean, public transportation in our rural areas and cities, and we need to be responsible when we travel.
Bob Rodger, Los Osos
John Kerry has damaged his legacy
Re “Kerry claims Israel blocks path to peace” (Page 1A, Dec. 29): Secretary of State John Kerry’s words will play out for the remainder of his life. We cannot foresee all the damage he has and will cause to a country and people whose sole determination has been to hold onto democracy, faith and their history.
Israel protects and respects the holiest of holiest sacred sites in our world. Israelis have fought to protect democracy for all who live within their boundaries. Surrounded and assailed by richer, more dangerous and hostile forces, they have acted in good faith for 100 years, and been betrayed and killed for their efforts.
Marcia Roussey, Foresthill
Kerry took brave stand on Israel
Thanks for the abstention at the United Nations and for Secretary of State John Kerry’s comments that calls out Israel on its transparent effort to avoid negotiations on a two-state solution. Israel confiscates Palestinian land for strategically placed settlements with the obvious intent of creating such a critical mass of settlers that it renders a two-state solution impossible.
The U.S. heaps billions of military aid onto Israel every year and has allowed its government to play footsie on peace talks. This approach will lead to perpetual conflict. What a shame that U.S. backbone finally emerged, even if at the 11th hour in this administration.
Gregory Ptucha, Sacramento
Obama caved in to Wall Street
Re “Obama damaged Democrats” (Letters, Dec. 28): Letter writer John Schleimer correctly observes that the Obama administration has damaged the Democratic Party.
Democrats lost Congress and the presidency, and hundreds of local and state offices. Schleimer concludes that “Trump’s election was a rejection of the liberal Democratic policies of the last eight years.”
Democrat-in-name-only Obama and his administration consistently betrayed the left, sold out labor and didn’t prosecute Wall Street’s Ponzi capitalism. It was all part and parcel of the Republican agenda to privatize and deregulate.
Obama’s legacy is what voters rejected, but calling it liberal is a distortion designed to eliminate actual liberal public policy options from the conversation.
Mark Dempsey, Orangevale
County fails to protect parkway
Re “How parkway safety goes beyond citations” (Viewpoints, Dec. 28): Sacramento County has done an abysmal job of providing public safety in the parkway by failing to protect the parkway from the depredations of illegal camping by the homeless.
The newest effort described by Supervisors Roberta MacGlashan and Don Nottoli will, unfortunately, probably result in the same failure as all of the other efforts they have come up with over the years.
Our nonprofit organization has been observing, commenting on, and suggesting parkway policy for 13 years, and the illegal camping situation has gotten worse.
Someday, it is our hope, the parkway will be managed by a nonprofit organization able to dedicate itself fully to caring for it without the one-step-forward-three-steps-back approach so typical of our local leadership.
David H. Lukenbill, American River Parkway Preservation Society, Sacramento
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This story was originally published January 2, 2017 at 6:05 AM with the headline "Letters: Desalination would only make water more costly, not solve shortage."