Letters to the Editor: Fossil-fuel polluters put money over the planet. Tax them into smithereens
To the editor: Jordan Thomas' powerful and poignant op-ed article on intensifying wildfires amid accelerated fossil-fuel consumption is a must-read for every living person.
Each one of us is having a life of previously unknown riches, all brought by the burning of fossil fuels. The relentless use of fossil fuels created the monster that is climate change, and now it will be our salvation.
Tax the fossil fuel industry and its financiers to smithereens. This dramatic action will fund the transition to sustainable economies run on renewables and help the families suffering losses from all extreme weather events. We can do this. We must do this.
We only need to stop listening to people who somehow imagine money is more important than the very planet that sustains us. As Thomas points out, climate change disasters are only growing in intensity, destruction and frequency, and these people need to realize they (and their children) will either die out in an increasingly damaged environment, or they will join us. Those are the only two choices.
One way or another, we will stop pouring carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Mother Earth will not let us destroy her.
JJ Flowers, Dana Point
..
To the editor: Just 20,000 years ago, much of North America was buried under an ice sheet that reached Nebraska. Pacific Palisades now resembles cities firebombed in World War II. This is the power of the atmosphere, which exceeds that unleashed in any world war.
U.S. leaders, influenced by oil money, have consistently shirked their duty to protect us from polluters. We must marshal a national mindset appropriate to what we have known about climate change since the 1980s.
Don't be distracted or deflected by cynical nonsense. Become a political "intensifier." Demand that your congressional representatives ambitiously respond to climate change, regardless of how much the fossil fuel industry donates to their campaigns. Any lawmaker voting to weaken or dismantle the Inflation Reduction Act should lose their next election.
Gary Stewart, Laguna Beach
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
'Less lethal' weapons: How law enforcement is using force in the LA protests
'Less lethal' weapons: How law enforcement is using force in the LA protests Seven hundred Marines have been activated and are preparing to deploy to Los Angeles where they will join National Guard troops ordered to protect federal personnel and property in response to protests over immigration raids. President Donald Trump said the guard, sent over the objections of local and state leaders, would restore order after clashes between police and protesters angry at his aggressive pursuit of undocumented immigrants. Videos of the protests have shown both peaceful gatherings and chaotic skirmishes with protesters hurling objects and law enforcement firing so-called 'less lethal' weapons. This ammunition is designed to travel more slowly than bullets and cause pain without penetrating the body, but still can cause serious injury and death. Police departments across the country are increasingly adopting less-than-lethal weapons in the wake of police shootings in which unarmed citizens were killed, according to a January 2025 report by the Congressional Research Service. Some examples include: Batons or nightsticks Pepper spray Tear gas Tasers Flash-bang grenades Rubber bullets Beanbag rounds Sponge Grenades Here's a look at key events over the last few days and various munitions being used by law enforcement: Friday, June 6 Homeland Security agents detained several people outside a Home Depot west of downtown L.A., and later at a clothing store in the Fashion District. People gathered to photograph and video the officers, and a few protesters also arrived. Four search warrants were executed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a spokesperson for Homeland Security told the Los Angeles Times. At least 44 people were arrested. By around 6:30 p.m. local time more than 100 people gathered at the immigration services building and detention center in downtown Los Angeles to protest the raids, according to Reuters. At around 7 p.m. local time, the Los Angeles Police Department declared it an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse. Some protesters threw pieces of broken concrete at the officers, who responded by firing tear gas and pepper spray. They also used flash-bang concussion rounds to disperse the crowd. Pepper spray is a lachrymatory agent, which means it stimulates the eyes to produce tears. The main active ingredient is an oil known as oleoresin capsicum, the same agent that provides 'heat' in chili peppers, according to Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician in New York City. It is typically dispersed as an aerosol or as small particles in a liquid spray, according to the National Capital Poison Center. Pepper sprays and mists can travel 8 to 12 feet, according to Sabre, a popular brand of pepper spray. Gel sprays can travel 20% farther. Saturday, June 7 The next day, larger protests began in the town of Paramount, south of Los Angeles, linked to rumors of a possible immigration raid. According to Los Angeles Times reporters who were on the scene, each time protesters threw anything at the agents or the police, tear gas and flash-bang rounds were fired back by federal agents. Law enforcement could also be seen firing pepper-spray balls in videos. With a range of up to 30 feet, pepper-spray balls are made of plastic that breaks on impact to release a chemical irritant intended to stun or incapacitate somebody. Sometimes, they contain marking paint for identifying a suspect or a particular area. Pepper-spray balls are typically the same caliber as recreational paintballs. They are typically deployed with paintball-style guns powered by compressed air. According to Homeland Security, on Saturday night, rioters surrounded the immigration services building and detention center, "assaulted ICE law enforcement officers, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer-funded property. " In response, Trump signed a presidential memorandum deploying "at least" 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles. Sunday, June 9 Early Sunday, dozens of National Guard troops arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center three blocks from Los Angeles City Hall. By 10:30 a.m., as many as 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed in three separate parts of the city. Crowds of protesters began arriving in the area around the federal complex around noon. Protests were not widespread, and most of the city was quiet. The situation escalated as the afternoon wore on. Many protesters waved Mexican flags or hybrid Mexican-American flags and chanted anti-ICE slogans. Some were also seen throwing water bottles and other objects at officers and law enforcement vehicles. Videos shared on social media and footage from local television stations showed officers in riot gear, with the sound of flash-bangs in the background. Lauren Tomasi, a U.S. national correspondent for Australia's 9News, was sore but unharmed after being shot in the leg by a Los Angeles officer. The incident was captured on video. At least five Waymo self-driving taxis were vandalized by protesters who spray-painted them with anti-Trump and anti-ICE slogans. At least two were set on fire. At one point, a crowd of protesters walked onto the 101 Freeway, blocking traffic in both directions. They were confronted by officers in riot gear, and by 5 p.m. local time the freeway was cleared. LAPD said on X that it had placed officers across the city on "tactical alert." The police department later declared an 'unlawful assembly' for the Civic Center area and the historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles, an area covering a small portion of the sprawling city of 500 square miles. It had authorized the 'use of less lethal munitions." Videos and photos at the scene showed police firing sponge grenades and other less lethal projectiles. Sponge grenades, or sponge rounds, are designed to stop violent aggressors without killing them and for crowd control. These projectiles are designed to cause blunt trauma and pain that temporarily disables the person. They are supposed to be fired at the legs or lower torso, and police are trained to avoid the head, neck and groin. Firing the projectiles from a distance decreases their force and accuracy and increases the risk of shooting people in the face or hitting bystanders. Firing too closely increases the risk of serious injury. At 8 p.m., authorities moved in aggressively with flash-bangs and tear gas grenades, sending hundreds of people running, their eyes streaming with tears. Helicopters clattered overhead as protesters fled the area to the honking of car horns and periodic cheers. Other video shot in the Compton area later that evening also shows flashbangs being deployed. Documents describing L.A.P.D.'s use of force tactics also list the beanbag shotgun. A bean bag round is a small fabric sack filled with No. 9 lead shot and fired by a shotgun. It is designed to expand in flight and cause trauma to the body, including muscle spasms, without penetrating the skin. These rounds are intended to be fired at large muscle groups on a dangerous person. The head and neck areas should be avoided to prevent killing them. Other munitions such as rubber or plastic bullets, also known as kinetic impact projectiles, have been used by law enforcement to control crowds. A 2017 study by the medical journal BMJ Open using injury data collected over 27 years found that of 1,984 people injured by rubber and plastic bullets and other projectiles in arrests and protests, '53 died as a result of their injuries and 300 others suffered permanent disability.' Deaths and permanent disability were often caused by "strikes to the head and neck," the study said. Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, Trevor Hughes, John Bacon, N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Michael Loria, Tom Vanden Brook Davis Winkie, USA TODAY Read more: Live updates: 700 Marines being sent to LA for riot assistance in response to protests Timeline: LA protests went from small to substantial over three days. Here's what unfolded 'Less lethal' can still maim and kill: A visual guide to weapons police use on protesters
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Markey playing defense against GOP clean energy plans
BOSTON (SHNS) – U.S. Sen. Ed Markey vowed Monday to work with his GOP colleagues to block the passage of billions of dollars in clean energy cuts within a pending Senate proposal, after House Republicans passed a bill that would upend the climate resiliency investments he helped secure within the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. As Senate committees dive into the 'Big Beautiful Bill' that could reach President Donald Trump's desk by July 4, Markey said the version that narrowly passed the House last month would slash $500 billion from the 'clean energy revolution,' in addition to $760 billion in Medicaid cuts. The House reconciliation bill, which also features deep tax cuts and spending reductions, would repeal or accelerate the phaseout of IRA provisions, including tax credits tied to electric vehicles, clean electricity production and clean electricity investment, according to the Tax Foundation. 'I'm working with my Republican colleagues, especially from the red states, because 80% of all that funding has gone to red states in the IRA, and it's already created 400,000 new jobs,' Markey told business, academic and health care leaders at a New England Council breakfast at the Boston Harbor Hotel. 'The way we drafted the bill is, if you do the manufacturing in an energy transition state — meaning West Virginia, etc. — you get a bonus 10% tax break,' Markey continued. 'So that's where it all went over the last 3.5 years. Now if they cut those tax breaks, it's going to mean 900,000 jobs are going to be killed over the next 10 years that were otherwise going to be put in place. So I'm working with my Republican colleagues to try to find a pathway here to keep as much of that clean energy strategy for our country in place.' Markey told reporters he needs to find four Senate Republicans who are willing to preserve the clean energy tax credits. It will take a simple majority for the Senate to pass the reconciliation bill. Four Senate Republicans in April — Sens. Lisa Murkowski, John Curtis, Thom Tillis and Jerry Moran — voiced their opposition to a 'full-scale repeal' of energy tax credits, according to The Hill. On Friday, 13 House Republicans sent Senate leadership a letter requesting improvements to some of the clean energy provisions they passed, including one measure they said would 'would abruptly terminate several credits just 60 days after enactment for projects that have not yet begun construction.' Markey called the 60-day timeframe 'pretty draconian,' and said he plans to work on pushing out that date. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the environment, energy and climate cuts in the House bill would shrink the country's economy by $1.1 trillion over the next decade, according to Markey's office. The Malden Democrat joined union leaders at IBEW Local 103 in Dorchester on Friday to decry the House cuts. 'Repealing clean energy tax credits is a union job killer,' Lou Antonellis, business manager and financial secretary at IBEW Local 103, said in a statement shared by Markey's office. 'These tax credits help level the playing field, they drive investment, and they put IBW electricians, laborers, ironworkers, and pipe fitters to work building America's energy future. If you take those tax credits away, you're not just pulling funding: you're pulling paychecks from working families, you're pulling apprentices out of training facilities, you're pulling opportunity straight out of our communities.' At the New England Council forum, Markey pointed out that 94% of all new electrical generation capacity in the United States last year came from wind, solar and battery. Only 6% came from natural gas, he said. 'That's a threat to the natural gas industry,' Markey said. 'That's why Trump is trying to kill offshore wind because we just want to plug in all that electricity.' On his first day back in office in January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting new offshore wind projects. Massachusetts lawmakers have pegged offshore wind as key to reach its clean energy goals, while Trump has embraced natural gas and other fossil fuels. In last year's economic development bill, the Legislature agreed to a $400 million investment in climate technology, with an eye toward bolstering the offshore wind industry. Markey argued eliminating tax breaks for solar and onshore wind would make the New England region more dependent on energy sources from elsewhere in the country. He also lamented the financial blows that clean energy companies, including those based out of Greentown Labs in Somerville and The Engine in Cambridge, would experience without tax credits for electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and battery storage technologies. 'My concern is that if all of the clean energy tax breaks are killed, that will kill the wind and solar and all electric vehicle and battery storage technologies that come out of Massachusetts but are revolutionizing the nation's relationship with fossil fuels, which get into the lungs of the American people,' Markey told reporters. 'So I'm working with Republicans to try to find a way to preserve as many of the clean energy tax breaks, which will help our state, but it will also help those red states, as well, to transition to a clean energy future.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
If this GOP bill passes, your electric bills will rise
Electricity prices are soaring, and if Senate Republicans gut the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) this summer, they're about to start rising even faster. On Thursday, House Republicans passed a budget bill that would eliminate several key clean energy incentives from the IRA—including valuable tax credits, such as the federal solar tax credit, for homeowners and businesses.. The bill will likely be voted on in June. If these incentives are cut, industry analysts predict residential electricity costs will rise by about 7%—that's roughly $143 more per year in electricity expenses for the average household, according to EnergySage data. Despite 21 House Republicans writing a letter to the committee chairman this March warning that repealing the tax credits would lead to 'drastically higher power bills for American families,' with the increase starting 'the very next day,' the House GOP still kept the cuts in this version of their budget bill. Stay informed on the latest industry news—delivered to your inbox each month. Sign up for EnergySage's newsletter. Several studies have confirmed the Republican letter's statement: Eliminating clean energy incentives—specifically the 48E investment and 45Y production tax credits—would increase electric costs for the average American. A report from the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) estimates a family's electric bill could increase by $110 per year on average without these incentives. Another study by The Brattle Group and ConservAmerica says the additional cost would likely be between $83 and $152 in added expenses each year, with families in America's heartland most likely to pay in the higher end of that range because of their high reliance on wind. The GOP bill would terminate the 48E and 45Y tax credits, which incentivize businesses to create clean energy facilities like solar and wind farms (excluding nuclear energy). These incentives were scheduled to start phasing out in 2032, but under the new bill, any project that isn't in service before January 1, 2029, won't qualify. These are huge projects that take extended periods oftime to get up and running, so the bill also specifies that the projects must begin construction within 60 days of the bill's enactment to qualify for the credit, putting companies in a difficult time crunch. Without these incentives, developers will be less keen to build clean-energy facilities, which would lead to a heavier reliance on other energy sources and therefore spike prices, according to a new report from the Rhodium Group. The report says increasing demand for natural gas would increase wholesale natural gas prices by 2-7%. Clean energy—especially solar and onshore wind—is much cheaper than fossil fuels. And, unlike fossil fuels, it isn't vulnerable to market fluctuations, either. It provides much-needed power to fuel our growing energy demand while providing greater energy independence and long-term affordability for American households. There are other factors at play, too. Todd Brickhouse, CEO and general manager of Basin Electric Power Cooperative, told the House Energy and Commerce Committee in March that 'immediate removal of [tax credits] will not allow utilities to plan for and avoid increased costs, and this will also immediately harm rate payers.' It also comes at a time when America's energy demand is nearing 'unprecedented levels,' according to economist and fellow Jesse Buchsbaum from Resources for the Future (RFF). He said a big driver are all the new AI data centers—which are are reportedly already putting a strain on household electricity. 'The projected energy demand is enormous, and I think meeting the projected demand is going to be really difficult,' Buschbaum told EnergySage. 'It's going to be a big challenge figuring out what tools are needed, what infrastructure investments are needed, and how to pay for them.' De-incentivizing the creation of new energy facilities will make it harder for America's energy supply to meet demand, which could cause even more volatility with electricity pricing. Not only will the proposed House bill increase energy costs, it will also reduce valuable energy savings for American families. The bill would also eliminate the Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit (Section 25D) and Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit (25C). Currently, the average homeowner who qualifies for these tax credits saves roughly 70% on their energy bills annually, or $2,240 per year, according to a recent analysis from Rewiring America. Once you factor in estimated increases in electricity prices, the report suggests that the average family's savings from 25C and 25D would be $2,590 by 2026. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he intends to pass the entire package through the House by Memorial Day and have it on the President's desk by the Fourth of July. Right now, there still appears to be some bipartisan support for clean energy tax credits in the Senate, so the current bill may still face some pushback. In addition to mitigating rises in electricity costs, these tax credits have helped create hundreds of thousands of jobs, increased domestic manufacturing, and given everyday Americans a chance to take control of their household's energy independence. Terminating IRA tax credits jeopardizes all of this progress towards a clean energy future. Republican proponents of this bill are pushing for its swift approval in the Senate. We encourage you to take action now by contacting your representatives directly to share how eliminating the clean energy tax credits would impact you and your community. Your voice can make a difference. Send a note to your elected officials.
