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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW UPDATED: Medford police investigating apartment complex shooting ... UPDATED: Interstate 5 at Siskiyou Summit reopens after truck fire ... Our View: Public pot smoking not creating a crisis ... UPDATED: Medford police investigating apartment complex shooting ... UPDATED: Interstate 5 at Siskiyou Summit reopens after truck fire ... Our View: Public pot smoking not creating a crisis ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Sept. 14 Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Sep. 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Now we know Little did we know during the Industrial Revolution that burning fossil fuels would someday produce so many significant changes to the Earth’s climate. But now we do know, and can’t afford “business as usual,” seeing human suffering, the alarming rate of plant and animal extinction and a limited window of time to turn things around. Bottom line: Burning fossil fuel must become past history. The Clean Power Plan is a significant step in this direction, but we need a broader policy. A more comprehensive solution is to levy a fee on all fossil fuels based on their greenhouse gas emission potential. It would level the playing field between clean and dirty sources, keep fossil fuels in the ground and drive development of clean and sustainable energy. Instead of regulations, the free market would work to find livable solutions. Citizens’ Climate Lobby is building bipartisan support in Congress for this idea. Their legislative proposal addresses greenhouse gases across all sectors. It’s designed to improve the U.S. economy and attract other countries to sustainable energy policies. Become informed at citizensclimatelobby.org , then write our three members of Congress. They need to hear your concern and call to action now! Sherrill Rinehart Ashland Oppose the DARK act The U.S. House voted recently to nullify local control over GMOs by passing HR 1599. Oregon Reps. Greg Walden and Kurt Schrader voted for it. Reps. Peter DeFazio, Suzanne Bonamici, and Earl Blumenauer opposed it. Promoters agree the measure dubbed the "DARK Act" (Deny Citizens the Right to Know) would eliminate states’ rights to label GMOs. Though Walden and Schrader claim the DARK Act won't preempt Jackson County’s ban on GMOs, HR 1599 reads, "This bill preempts state and local restrictions on GMOs or GMO food and labeling requirements for GMOs, GMO food, non-GMO food, or 'natural' food." The DARK Act would rescind state and local protection of organic farms from GMO contamination and prevent food manufacturers from using reliable and independent GMO-free labels and standards. GMOs could be labeled as "natural" and not be subject to pre-market safety testing. It will effectively suppress the consumers' right to know and make informed choices about what is safe and healthy to eat. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have criticized HR 1599, and we need to confirm their opposition before it comes up for a Senate vote. Please let them know you want them to help us stop the DARK Act. Fred Harrison Central Point Mining Act exploits people We the People of the United States, especially the poor, continue to be taken advantage of by powerful often foreign-owned corporations. We must become aware of the policies that enable this servitude. Right now in Southern Oregon, Kalmiopsis rivers provide drinking water for local residents and support flourishing recreation, fishing, and tourism. Yet, these public lands are poised for exploitation in the form of toxic nickel strip mines by RNR Resources and Red Flat Nickel Corp. This infuriating circumstance is due to the 1872 Mining Act. Designed to encourage settlement it now allows corporations to pillage our beloved lands at the cost of American taxpayer and human health. Some buy the corporate rhetoric — the right to exploit natural resources and the promise to rise from poverty. Make no mistake: Foreign-owned mining corporations will not lift up our poor. We have a choice: clean water, human health and wild rivers or nickel strip mines, ore smelters and a toxic legacy. Jeanine Moy Ashland MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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