Drought, oil train, Iraq invasion
Keep conserving our water
Re “As reservoirs recover, limits are questioned” (Page 1A, March 15): We should be thankful for this year’s “Miracle March” but Californians cannot start relaxing their water conservation habits. Even if water usage targets are eased during the next few months, water conservation is crucial.
Drought-resistant landscape programs that help finance water-efficient home improvements that pay for themselves over time have saved many gallons of water and significant amounts of money. Easing restrictions is one thing, but stopping the effort to conserve is the wrong approach.
Arzo Qayoumi, Elk Grove
Steyer’s selective outrage
Re “Benicia should block oil trains” (Viewpoints, March 15): As co-author of the column opposing oil trains in California, Tom Steyer, founder of Farallon Capital Management, made a passionate case against industrial carbon pollution. What hypocrisy. It appears Steyer will staunchly defend green policies only when it doesn’t affect Farallon activities.
In 2006, Farallon purchased 16,000 acres of grazing ranch land in western Amador County. The company secured county approvals for a massive Newman Ridge Quarry and hot asphalt plant. The project’s environmental study stated it would have “significant and unavoidable” environmental impacts, emissions of greenhouse gases and toxic air contaminants and more.
Now Steyer sounds warnings about oil trains bringing “more poisoned air and increased disease” to our town of Ione. Amador County deserves clean air, too.
Sondra West-Moore, Ione
Invasion was major mistake
Re “Mideast needs new borders” (Viewpoints, March 15): March 20 marks the 13th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The invasion, the world was told, was based on false claims that Iraq had “weapons of mass destruction.”
The invaders planted the seeds of mass destruction of a sovereign nation destroying the delicate ethnic and sectarian web of the society turning it into a sectarian and ethnic morass. Look at what our policies have wrought. The invasion, among other committed atrocities, unleashed that monstrosity called Islamic State. Tens of thousands of Iraqis, including children, were killed and many more became refugees.
Columnist Trudy Rubin talks of creating new borders within Iraq. Before the invasion, Kurds and Arabs were Iraqis. Christians and Muslims lived in harmony and Sunnis and Shias were Muslims only.
Samira Al-Qazzaz, Carmichael
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This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Drought, oil train, Iraq invasion."