Comment from Skari, Arlo
My family and I farm in north central MT approximately 20 miles from the Alberta border. We are concerned about the drying up of the west in the long run; It is touch and go now to get sufficient moisture to raise a decent crop every other year (we fallow half every year-this is a wet desert).
So I am recommending the following:
1. Push efficiency all the time in production, homes-both heating and lighting,traveling and recreation constantly.
2. No more coal fired plants in the state unless you can do something with the CO2 emissions; Pumping CO2 into unddrground wells and cavities for decades is very problematic and possbly not a good idea.
3.Push alernative forms of energy production such as wind, solar, ocean tides, biomass etc.
4. Second to coal fired plants, vehicles emit huge amounts of CO2. CAFE standards must be raised to a minimum of 35 mpg in the short run and higher in the long run. China, apparently, is headed in that direction.
5. Train, bus,trolley car transportation, both freight and people must be expanded greatly like it was in the 20's, 30's and 40's. I remember it was convenient for people to traved as I was born in 1935 in the middle of he Great Depression.
We can do it but it must be carefully planned so as not to disrupt the economy greatly.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment on a very important subject.
Arlo Skari