Approaching the boiling point...
Feb 28, 2013 | 667 views | 0 0 comments | 4 4 recommendations | email to a friend | print
I am most concerned and alarmed over the ad-hoc, incremental, creeping industrialization surrounding and permeating our communities, watersheds, recreational areas and national parks. Projects and plans for oil and gas development, tar sands, refineries, pipelines, potash, uranium mining and milling, helium processing, and a nuclear power plant are passing through a host of rubber-stamp permitting processes without any meaningful, interrelated, cumulative look at the regional synergies and impacts that these highly polluting and water-intensive activities will create.

The quality of life, environmental and public health, and long-term economic sustainability of our communities are being forever altered by this trend, and we are like the proverbial, complacent frogs in a slowly heating cauldron approaching boiling point.

Do our decision-makers really believe we are immune to the air quality and commensurate public health crises now occurring in the Uintah Basin and Western Slope? Or to the critical water shortages facing the Colorado River Basin? Or to the extreme infrastructure challenges posed by massive demographic changes? Or to a blighted landscape in our now world-class wildlands resource?

Where is the outrage; even appropriate inquiry and study, regarding these grave and very real threats to community well-being? Is Moab ready to passively accept red-alert days?

I call upon our councils and agencies to exercise their trust responsibilities to the public welfare and commons by proactively implementing precautionary processes, principles and regulatory powers in synergistic and effective, local and regional planning. We must learn to appreciate and live within the means, natural laws and carrying capacities of our watersheds and ecosystems before we lose any opportunity to appropriately guide our present and future into sustainable and livable ones for ourselves and the next generations. 

—Bob Lippman

Castle Valley

Share This Article |
similar stories

Lyrical landscapes are on exhibit at Dead Horse Point State Park | 7 days ago

Sharing the joy... | 7 days ago

Dark and stupid times... | 28 days ago

Lady Devils golfers place second to region leader | 21 days ago

BLM gives green light to Hatch Point potash exploration | 21 days ago by Steve Kadel
staff writer

report abuse...

Express yourself:

We're glad to give readers a forum to express their points of view on issues important to this community. That forum is the “Letters to the Editor.” Letters to the editor may be submitted directly to The Times-Independent through this link and will be published in the print edition of the newspaper. All letters must be the original work of the letter writer – form letters will not be accepted. All letters must include the actual first and last name of the letter writer, the writer’s address, city and state and telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be accepted.

Letters may not exceed 400 words in length, must be regarding issues of general interest to the community, and may not include personal attacks, offensive language, ethnic or racial slurs, or attacks on personal or religious beliefs. Letters should focus on a single issue. Letters that proselytize or focus on theological debates will not be published. During political campaigns, The Times-Independent will not publish letters supporting or opposing any local candidate. Thank you letters are generally not accepted for publication unless the letter has a public purpose. Thank you letters dealing with private matters that compliment or complain about a business or individual will not be published. Nor will letters listing the names of individuals and/or businesses that supported a cause or event. Thank you letters about good Samaritan acts will be considered at the discretion of the newspaper.