Transit Incentives, Petroleum Woes

Re “Global Warming: Keep the Foundation,” Commentary, Nov. 21: Joseph F.C. DiMento advocates giving credits to the “good” corporations that aim to slow down global warming. But what about something concrete for the little guy? I gave away my car this year, for reasons not the least of which were about global warming. In Seattle there is a project where people receive funding for not driving the second car. L.A. could donate free passes for the subway and the bus to those shelving their metal chariots in exchange for the more sensible and safe-for-our-future public transportation.

I ask the governments, in their latest round of giving away the store to the corporations, why not give something to the consumer for making sacrifices like agreeing to take public transportation, bicycling or walking? A real return to the consumer would generate the “domestic debate” DiMento refers to, which may in fact be the only thing to save us from global warming. The corporations and the U.S. government decidedly will not save anything but the bottom line.

ANDREW KAY LIBERMAN

Los Angeles

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* In “OPEC: Fat and Myopic Too” (editorial, Nov. 19), you say that OPEC has an agreement to keep prices between $22 and $28 a barrel for oil. With whom do they have that agreement? It is just an agreement among OPEC members, which they can agree to change. If the world goes into a recession from high oil prices, how will OPEC be hurt? A recession usually means lower prices, which will give them even more purchasing power from their higher oil prices.

As for consuming nations replacing oil with alternate energy sources, what are the sources? It takes about 100 square miles of solar panels to replace one coal-fired electric generating plant. There is atomic energy, but we would have to overcome certain fears to expand our atomic generation. What about fuel cells? Fuel cells also require either petroleum fuels or hydrogen, which can best be made using electricity to break down water into hydrogen and oxygen. There are no hydrogen supplies existing in nature.

I remember President Nixon’s speech in 1973 when he said that by using alternate energy sources we would become energy independent. We’re still waiting.

ROBERT C. MASON

Simi Valley