Salutes and Censure
Your November/December 2006 "Profile" of Major General Michael Lehnert--a rare species himself--was informative and encouraging ("A Few Good Species"). Far too many of our military and civilian leaders have been locked into an us-against-them mind-set. Lehnert's enlightened approach to environmental issues should serve as a model to those who actively resist and undermine, or at best grudgingly comply with, our nation's environmental laws.
Rick Laverdure
Alameda, California
It is heartening to see General Lehnert's strong sense of duty and determination and his can-do attitude in defense of good causes: our environment and our nation's security. Nick Sabetto
Fort Loudon, Pennsylvania
"A Few Good Species" had a familiar ring to it. Here in Colorado, the U.S. Army has won over a significant portion of the environmental movement in its effort to add 418,577 acres to its Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. The environmentalists agreed not to look at the impact ranges [where guns are fired and bombs are dropped during training] or the direct effects of war. No one checked on the environmental well-being of Anbar province or Fallujah. Just about anyone can ace a test if they get to skip the hard questions. Bill Sulzman
Colorado Springs, Colorado
California Dreaming
We enjoyed the issue on "Green Cuisine" (November/December 2006). But much of your advice seems to be directed at California and places where there are local crops available much of the year. Those of us in the Midwest can use farmers' markets only for a limited time, and in smaller cities, we have no access to stores like Whole Foods. We believe in eating locally grown crops but are now watching the frost gather and the vegetables disappear. Carol I. Mason
Appleton, Wisconsin
Editor's note: No question--it's easier to be a "locavore" if you live in California. But people in climatically challenged places have options too. The Minnesotans described on page 27 dined on food from near their homes for an entire year.
You may not want to go that far, but check winter farmers' markets in your area and otherwise explore local foods that store well--fresh, dried, frozen, or canned.
Considering Cape Wind
"Inhibit the Wind" ("Lay of the Land," November/December 2006, page 12) suggests that Senator John Warner's opposition to the Cape Wind project in Massachusetts may have less to do with possible interference with radar and more to do with the impact the turbines would have on the views of property owners, including the senator's daughters.
But there are reasons to oppose Cape Wind that are valid and thoughtful: possible negative impacts on tourism, recreation, and the local fishery. Navigational safety issues have also been raised, and the site has been declared a state sanctuary and nominated for status as a national marine sanctuary. I strongly support wind power, as any concerned citizen should, but I don't support it everywhere and under every scenario. Paul Winters
Framingham, Massachusetts
How Many Losers Lost?
In the September/October 2006 issue of your magazine, you had an article on the "0% Club" ("Two-Time Losers," page 43), members of Congress who got every important environmental vote wrong in 2005. How did they fare in the November election? Robert Weiss
Ukiah, California
Editor's note: The power of incumbency and gerrymandered (i.e., "safe") districts is strong--we managed to oust only 5 of the 91 members of the 0% Club who were up for reelection. Keep in mind, though, that there are 53 new members of the House of Representatives. Of them, 21 are significantly better environmentally than the people they replaced. That means representatives with environmentalist leanings (who include Republicans as well as Democrats) moved from the minority to the majority on election day.
We also did well in defeating the "Two-Time Losers" featured in the same issue. Of the 11 ethically and environmentally challenged Congress members we profiled, 10 were up for reelection. Three--Representatives Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.), Tom DeLay (R.-Tex.), and Bob Ney (R-Ohio)--stepped down prior to the election, and five others lost at the polls. Good riddance to Representatives J. D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.), Richard Pombo (R-Calif.), Jim Ryun (R-Kans.), and Charles Taylor (R-N.C.) and Senator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.). We can try again in two years with the two "losers" who won, California representatives John Doolittle (R) and Jerry Lewis (R).
Correction
In "A Few Good Species" ("Profile," November/December 2006), we mistakenly identified 195-square-mile Camp Pendleton as the largest Marine Corps base in the world. That was true when Pendleton was first built, but now the biggest is the 932-square-mile base at Twentynine Palms, California.
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