Get rid of the middle man

Where do you think all that energy in those precious fossil fuels comes from initially? The sun, that’s where. Old Sol injects the Earth’s flora and fauna with the building blocks of life. When these life forms die and become fossilized, they take the elements with them.

Why not get your energy directly from the source? Solar panels make so much sense. Getting your power from fossil fuels is like getting your protein from meat rather than directly from plants in the ground. That’s inefficient and expensive.

So are fossil fuels. Solar is much cheaper than methane gas. There are no solar plants and the fuel is free. Methane gas plants have to purchase their fuel. Coal, of course, is way more expensive than everything.

And that’s just through the grid. Imagine every all-electric building having its own solar power source. After some initial expense, you have no utility bills.

Go solar.

Fred Malo Jr., Carbondale

Hershey’s claims require clarity

Tony Hershey, perhaps it’s time to take a break from your weekly claims of persecution by local government. You’ve served on the Aspen and Glenwood Springs city councils. You currently sit on the Garfield County Library Board and work as an assistant district attorney. Yet you continually portray yourself as a victim of the very “deep state” you are deeply embedded in.

In your most recent letter, you accused the city of lying to smear your ethics and character and to intimidate you into silence. You described their sworn affidavits and legal filings to the Secretary of State as “slanderous.” As an attorney, you surely know that to prove slander, the statements must be false, communicated to a third party, stated as fact, and demonstrably damaging.

If you truly believe the city has defamed you by knowingly false court filings, that is not just unethical — it could be criminal. Your boss, District Attorney Ben Sollars, would be obligated to investigate potential perjury. At the very least, you should pursue civil action to defend your reputation. Failing to do so raises questions about the strength of your claims.

On the other hand, if the allegations made by Mr. Williams are accurate — that you disclosed privileged information about ongoing legal cases involving minors, including names, locations, and investigative methods — then you and Mr. Sollars owe the public a serious explanation.

This community deserves clarity. Either these allegations are false and legally actionable, or they’re true and require accountability. If no investigation is launched, no lawsuit filed, and no response offered, then the Colorado Bar Association should indeed review these matters and determine whether you should continue to serve the public in a position of legal trust.

Now is the time to clear the air — or take responsibility.

Jennifer Davidson, Carbondale

The recycle/compost dilemma

I think our society is getting the wrong idea when it comes to recycling. Is it a good thing? Absolutely, especially compared to dumping it in the landfill. But many of us have questioned whether the items we put in our recycling bins actually get recycled. After it leaves our curb and leaves the valley, what truly happens to it? There have been some investigative reports that say it never gets recycled. We don’t know for sure.

By no means am I saying that we shouldn’t continue recycling and composting, but we can do better. Especially our local restaurants that have converted to compostable and recyclable containers to serve their food in. Understandable for to-go orders, but if the customer is going to sit down in your establishment and dine in, they should get real plates and silverware that can be washed and reused. Yes, this will cost the restaurant owner more, but it is the right thing to do. And I would be willing to bet that most people in our valley would be willing to pay a little more to help take care of our planet.

This goes for us at home as well. Don’t use throwaway items just because it is easier. Keeping things in-house is the best way to help preserve our natural surroundings. If everyone does their part, we can make a difference.

John Korrie, Glenwood Springs

Immigrants and workers deserve support

I am proud of my town, Carbondale, folks in the Roaring Fork Valley, and the state of Colorado, who showed up for Labor Day rallies to support our workers. I hope everyone will contact their elected officials whenever issues arise that affect workers.

These include immigrants, who are vital to our community, state, and national economies. Trump and his administration are attacking these workers, who help make America great by harvesting our crops, maintaining our landscaping, caring for our children, keeping our homes clean, and preparing our food in restaurants. The list goes on and on. We should be grateful for and respect them.

Like many others, I am the granddaughter of immigrants who came to America to seek a better life for their families, especially their children. Is it fair to deny these hardworking people the opportunities that many of us had?

In addition to supporting our immigrants, we should stand up against the massive firings of our federal workers — from the EPA, FEMA, CDC and other agencies — who keep our country safe. They have been replaced with workers, some at top levels of our federal government, who are not qualified to oversee the departments and agencies they lead. How does this make us greater or safer?

Not only are individuals traumatized by deportations and dismissals, so are their families and communities. If you think it can’t happen here, it already has.

Nancy Peterson, Carbondale