An open letter to Congressman Udall

Congressman, I have seen your recent ad on TV that showed you outside, dressed with a heavy jacket with no hat. Was this to show that you are an outdoorsman? Did this come from Pete Coors ads?

In that ad you stated that we, the United States, need to be independent with regards to energy sources. I found that almost laughable considering you are one of those who is so focused on Global Warming that you can only see things from that perspective.

You are against drilling in Alaska, off the coast of the United States, and anywhere else in this country. You are against oil shale production in Colorado, even though it has a lot of potential, and would be very good for the local economy. You are against using nuclear power for power plants. The Navy has been using this in ships for years with no problem. European countries, whom many of your supporters idolize, use nuclear power. While we do have some in this country, many more are needed.

We have not built any oil refineries for years. I believe that the last one we built was in the 1970’s. And yet, you say that we have to be independent.

What the environmentalists and you are saying is that we need to use less gas and buy hybrid cars. So, I suppose you are overjoyed that the high gas prices are causing some people to drive less and others to buy smaller cars. However, I am sure that you know as well as I do that the Global Warming scare by environmental activists is based, at best, on some questionable data. At least 400 international scientists in this field have recently questioned the computer models used, the basic data involved, and conclusions themselves. Anyone who does a little independent research themselves can find this out.

While I do agree that it is a good idea to try to take care of the environment, some judgment should also be used in this regard. The question that I have heard many times from supporters of all these environmental restrictions is “How can it hurt to do this?”

Gas prices are at record highs. Airlines are having trouble and are reducing service and cutting jobs.

Food and medical prices are going up, and many citizens are having trouble just paying for the basic needs. Some business are closing.

Many people are not taking the trips that they had planned. The trucking industry is in difficulty. Recently, one of the TV networks featured some women who had to decide whether to eat breakfast or buy gas to go to work. The economy is significantly affected. Add this to the reality that biofuel is not the alternate fuel solution that promoters said it would be, and that it has turned out to be more of a problem than a help.

Corn and other food products used in the production of biofuel have had significant price increases that have hurt populations worldwide that need food to eat. Finally, according to a report I recently read, more money is spent on environmental issues than on AIDS. So Congressman, “How can it hurt?”