The process of poo

Last week’s Locker Room segment (Pitching petrified poo, Aug. 13) quotes Regina Pirtle, Iowa State Fair superintendent of activities at Pioneer Hall, as saying, “don’t worry, these chips have been sanitized.” She might want to share the process with Des Moines Water Works employee Bill Stowe and those counties he is suing up north. It sounds like a possible win/win out-of-court settlement.

Mike Rowley
-Clive

Another side of the biking story

Having read your article on whether Des Moines is bicycle friendly, I have a few comments. I would have emailed these directly to the reporter of the article had there been an email address. I am a driver of a motor vehicle. I also walk on multi-use trails. I experience many bicyclists as arrogant and unwilling to follow the traffic signs like stop signs, say “on your left” on the trails, and ride in the road instead of the shoulder on our highways. I have seen many bicyclists leave insufficient room should two vehicles have to pass them and each other on a blind curve. At times they ought to be single file and are not. In Fort Myers, Florida, there are reports of bicyclists injured or killed by motor vehicle operators every week. I found your article biased and presented through rose-colored glasses. Bicycles will never be safe as things are now; they need more room separate from vehicles. Bicyclists should pay for license plates and road taxes to help pay for improvements.

Carmen Lee
-Florida

Put down the damn camera

The recent assault on an Alabama police officer shows not how bad police are, but how good. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. If the Bloods and Crips and Hells Angels controlled our cities like Al Capone and the Mafia did during Prohibition, those people wouldn’t be standing around filming, they’d run before the violence extended to them. Even if they thought a criminal would protect them, the criminals frequently changed allegiances, if they had any. As was said after a more recent incident, put down the damn camera and help. We are all humans, and all lives matter.

Jeni Nosbisch
-Des Moines

Promoting Trump clearly defines Republican message

I would guess Kirby Smith (Letters, Aug. 13) and I would disagree on just about every political issue. However, I encourage Kirby to keep promoting Trump. Trump’s message is very helpful in drawing a clear contrast between the opposing positions of Democrats and Republicans. With all the political noise, it makes it difficult for some voters to distinguish positions separating the two parties. Democrats have difficulty communicating the difference between the two parties because Republicans are experts at spinning and concealing their real agenda. Trump’s message of hate and anger directed at women, immigrants and his disrespect for Veterans’ sacrifice (McCain isn’t a hero) becomes the Republican message as well. That message of hate and ignorance is obviously embraced by a large part of the Republican base, as evidenced by Trump’s support in the polls. Promoting Trump, who has no spin filter, makes the Republican positions crystal clear. The Democrats absolutely reject the Trump/Republican war on women and immigrants. Democrats stand with every single veteran, Democrat or Republican that risked or made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom. Trump’s campaign guarantees voters will clearly understand how drastically the two parties differ.

Rick Smith
–Urbandale

Clean energy is the future for Iowa businesses

Day after day, I look around at the world we live in and think about how reckless we are with our consumption and energy sources. We rely on non-renewable energy sources, thinking that will be a sustainable way of living. It’s time for us to wake up and realize the need to urgently transition to clean energy sources in order to grow our economy, create a healthy environment and provide good-paying jobs for Iowa’s families. For my career, I focus on finding companies and technologies that address key growth areas in the environmental market, working with them to accelerate the development and execution of opportunities that will move the U.S., especially Iowa, toward energy independence. I look to grow the renewable energy sector because it increases jobs in the state and helps move us to a clean energy economy. A clean energy economy is what America needs to live sustainably and Iowa businesses are poised to build the clean energy economy of the future. Wind and solar industries are rapidly growing in the state, with wind industries already supporting 7,000 jobs in Iowa, along with 13 factories and assembly plants. Wind and biofuel (to include renewable natural gas) industries support 80,000 jobs. More and more young people are being trained to build and maintain wind turbines because the industry is growing so quickly. Iowans are seeking good-paying jobs and the clean energy sector provides those opportunities. Transitioning to a clean energy economy is ambitious, but achievable. A lot of the conversations about energy and climate change have focused on risks and disasters, reminding us of the dangers of inaction, but we need to be talking about the positive solutions that will lead to a clean energy future with good-paying jobs and a healthy environment. Clean energy provides a tremendous opportunity for Iowa businesses and communities. Iowans are already on their way to a clean energy economy, now we need presidential candidates and elected officials to do their part by supporting policies that encourage and accelerate the transition to clean energy. That is why I support calling on all presidential candidates to tackle climate change head-on and lay out a plan to power our country with more than 50 percent clean energy by 2030 and put us on a path to a completely clean energy economy by 2050. This transition will create jobs, spur innovation, lower costs for families and businesses, provide a healthy environment by reducing pollution and drive the kind of economic growth that benefits all Iowans. Clean energy benefits our environment and economy. I encourage you to join me in supporting a 50 percent clean energy economy by 2030 and ask candidates what their plans are to reach this goal. I feel passionate about this issues and the most effective way of doing this is striving for economic development and growing our clean energy industries.

Jon Kallen
-Johnston

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