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Letters to the Editor, Dec. 12

Explore new energy sources

Ann Shanklin opined in the Dec. 5 Boulder City Review that we should “stop climate change now.” In the fall of 1967, I took Meteorology 101 at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in January 1968. Our professor was Dr. Reid Bryson, who chaired the meteorology department and has been credited by some climatologists as the father of modern climatology.

One day after class, we happened to walk together for a ways. I clearly remember asking him about global warming vs. global cooling. Which was going to win? He said global cooling due to a combination of increased dust and air pollution reflecting sunlight. A search found that he still thought in 2007 that man-made global warming is absurd. His reasons are set forth in an article on Uncommon Descent that can be found at http://bit.ly/36qJEar.

Sometimes, costly American efforts to eliminate 300 U.S. coal plants and electrify transportation vehicles to reduce our contribution to the world’s carbon dioxide are pointlessly trivial. For comparison, in five years, eight other countries including China and India will have 5,165 coal plants. China’s coal mine fires massively add still more carbon dioxide.

My website http://www.commutefaster.com/vesperman.html links to my compilations of 102 electrical energy innovations, ball lightning fusion reactors and the Gallery of Clean Energy Inventions exhibit. The exhibit profiles nearly 60 new generators and 40 candidate power sources for self-powered vehicles. These new energy sources should be proactively investigated and developed to provide cheaper, safe, more reliable and emissions-free energy sources. But to curb global warming does not seem to be a valid reason.

Gary Vesperman

Firefighters shouldn’t need assistance from Henderson

On Dec. 10 at approximately 10 a.m., there was a another tragic home fire in our town. Our fire department got there very quickly, I am told. The Henderson Fire Department showed up to help — again. So again I ask myself, and now you, this question. Why is Henderson Fire Department needed to assist in every home fire? Do we not have enough firemen on duty? Do we not have enough firemen on staff? If we do, why can’t off-duty firefighters come in and help?

I know we have a heavy rescue, a fire truck, a ladder truck and two ambulances. Why is that not enough equipment?

How much does it cost the city to call Henderson to assist each time there is a fire? Why not call off-duty firemen?

Every time this happens, it perpetuates the old stories and jokes that the Boulder City Fire Department can’t fight its way out of a paper bag without Henderson helping. Henderson should not have to help with a garage fire.

And my dad was a fireman for more than 15 years, and worked for Boulder City in 1967-70.

Tracy Somers

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The subjects in most of the articles and columns I write tend to include positive stories about American veterans and veterans’ organizations. And in fact the pieces are about veterans, not active-duty military.

Gratitude for government

I moved to Boulder City in 1981. Boulder City is blessed to have been a government town. Can we recall the blessings we have received from government?

Trash talk isn’t always a bad thing

Allow me to warn you that this month’s Home Matters is filled with all kinds of trash talk. In fact, I’ve been trash talking with the city and BC Wastefree for a few days now. Why all this garbage gab? It’s time to take out the trash, properly.

Legislative season almost here

Ahhh… it is a wonderful time of year. Spring is just around the corner. The sun shines longer, the birds are singing, and plants are blooming. It is a magical time of year!

MY D_Y WITH P_T _ND V_NN_

Last night I caught a few minutes of “Wheel of Fortune” and whenever I do, I can’t help but think back to my time in Hawaii when the show came over to film a few weeks’ worth of episodes at the Hilton Waikoloa Village about 15 years ago.

A little late and clueless but still…

I know, I know, I know. I’m a week late for Valentine’s Day content. But my timing has always sucked. Just ask my wife.

Veteran caregivers hope for financial boost

Much has been spoken and written about in recent months about military and veteran caregivers, and the responsibilities they are charged with.

A penny for your thoughts, compounded daily

When my oldest son, Joseph, turned 18 in 2011, a good family friend gifted him a self-help book by Darren Hardy called “The Compound Effect.” It’s all about achieving success one baby step at a time. My six other children loathed that gift, because my wife, Leslie, then proceeded to preach its principles seemingly ad nauseam over the next five years every opportunity she could find.