Published Friday, July 3, 2009, by the Palo Alto Weekly

Letters to the Editor

Fancy train

In answer to Martin Engel's Guest Opinion in the June 19 Weekly
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BATN/message/41900>, the present fiscal crisis of
California is very small potatoes compared to the climate crisis that mankind is
facing.

Because the latter affects only our grandchildren in a serious way -- not us --
we refuse to deal with it. California's so-called fiscal crisis is really a
crisis in political leadership. A result of political gamesmanship in which all
politicians fear to utter the "T word," or suggest any cuts to popular programs.

The future world will belong to those humans who have adapted to an
all-electric-energy world the fastest. It's the only way to provide the cuts to
CO2 emissions that must come. That means trains must replace planes where
possible, cars must be electric powered and our power grid must be smartened to
provide the means to move the electrons around the nation as needed.

A decent train from northern to southern California seems a no-brainer for our
future.

Trains, presumably high-speed, to compete with airplanes, are in our future.

Our roads are chock-a-block with "fancy" cars. Why can't we have at least one
"fancy" train?

Steve Eittreim
Ivy Lane
Palo Alto


[BATN: See also:

Comment: CA HSR must be stopped or it will bankrupt us all
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BATN/message/41900 ]