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LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.

Article Excerpt
Byline: The Register-Guard

Electric cars a partial answer

I read with interest the guest viewpoint (Register-Guard, Aug. 22) regarding electric cars. I, too, am an advocate of electric cars. However, they are only a partial answer to the fossil fuel problem.

Paul Scott states that, "Every American can share these benefits, but particularly Oregonians, since the electric grid in the Pacific Northwest ... has an abundance of hydropower." This is true for Oregonians, but definitely not for the nation as a whole, as fossil fuels account for 70 percent of our electric generation. And although Oregon gets a disproportionate amount of energy from hydro, this amount is likely to only increase incrementally.

From 1993 to 2003, hydroelectric production rose only 9 percent, while coal electric increased 22 percent. With the use of electric cars will come an increased burden on the power grid, with most of those increases coming from fossil fuels.

This is why electric cars are only a partial answer, because they still mostly require the burning of fossil fuels to supply the power grid.

The answer?

For electric cars to solve our fossil fuel problems, we need to increase our renewable energy production to keep pace with our electric car production, and eventually replace all fossil fuels. Only then will electric cars truly be emission free.

RORY GIBBENS-ROLPH

Eugene

Field burning wrecks the air

The article about field burning (Register-Guard, Aug. 22) reminded me to add my genuine concern about field burning to...

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