May 20, 2017 2 min read

I am writing in response to the column by the New York Times’ Thomas Friedman that appeared in the April 21 edition of your paper.

Friedman is another columnist trying to blame coal for all the air pollution in the United States. He stated that in 2011 there were 514 coal-fired power plants in the United States, and 254 are due to shut down, leaving 260 coal-fired power plants. I noticed he didn’t mention the 263 million automobiles in the U.S. burning fossil fuels. He did not mention the 98 million pieces of heavy equipment that are burning fossil fuels, or the motorcycles, boats, lawn mowers or airplanes.

Friedman also stated that former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg put $50 million with former Sierra Club executive Carl Pope into the effort to make coal history. He could have donated that money to much better causes than putting power plant workers, coal miners and others out of work. If Bloomberg, Pope and all the members of the Sierra Club really believe what they are saying, they would never get in an automobile, bus, train or plane. They would walk or ride a bicycle.

Friedman also said solar, wind and natural gas were cheaper and cost-effective. But why haven’t electric bills gone down?

Michael Journic

Carmichaels