OPINION

Rob Ezell

Big Sky, Montana

“I’m most thankful for the Constitution because it provides everyday citizens [with] rights and privileges.”

Lauren Bredemeier

Rehoboth, Massachusetts

“I’m truly grateful for my right to vote and to take part in the democratic system.”

Emma LaRue

New York City

“I’m grateful that we’re slowly breaking down barriers to voting rights such as literacy tests in order to increase the accessibility to vote and helping everyone have a say in who represents our government.”

Garrett Kemberling

Big Sky, Montana

“As a United States citizen and an avid outdoorsman and hunter, I am grateful for the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms.”

Letters to the Editor:

Climate crisis President’s Day is a time of patriotic celebration and remembrance. What aspect of American democracy are you grateful for right now?

To the Editor:

Earth’s climate is at a critical point. And I believe the scientists who estimate that we have 10 years to save the planet as we know it. Contrary to the pessimist’s point of view, we can at least slow the process way down.

Yes, we need to change our nasty little habits: we have to manage our power supply. The new technology and economy are here and working. The workforce in alternative energy (solar, wind, geothermal and tides) is increasing daily. We must leave fossil fuels in the ground.

We can do little things right now: turn off the lights as you leave the room; turn off the TV; use motion detectors for outside security lights; and buy those solar panels for your roof.

The most important thing to invest in is renewables. I live in a modest Gallatin Valley home and have been off the grid for 20 years. I know we can live without coal, the main contributor of CO2 emissions and cause for global warming. Many coal-fired power plants have been shut down across the nation, and units 1 and 2 at Montana’s Colstrip plant shut down in 2020. These are directly due to the increases in alternative energy.

Jobs, jobs, jobs. Reinstate government-sponsored retraining programs for fossil fuel workers into clean energy jobs (the pay and benefits are good). Hound your representatives to change this country’s negative outlook on alternative energy.

We have an abundance of natural gas and some say it’s the answer to our power needs. But check out Iowa’s McCabe Farm. They have a working anaerobic digester that, with the waste of 2,400 head of cattle, produces 950k kilowatts of methane power. That digester alone produces enough methane to power the county school buses, garbage trucks and all county vehicles.

I just heard young Greta Thunberg give the most emotionally moving speech at the 2019 U.N. Climate Action Summit. Her passion is unabashed, raw and from the heart. Let us all be as passionate as her.

#renewable is doable.

Wilbert J.D. Van Straaten Three Forks, Montana