Steven Fenichel cites greenhouse gasses released during natural gas production.
To the Editor:
At last there is a slender ray of hope for Mother Earth: A lawsuit has been filed against the Pinelands Commission and the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) over their approvals of the South Jersey Gas Co. pipeline.
I don't believe that ordinary citizens who support this 22-mile natural gas pipeline through the Pinelands realize how dangerously close to the point of no return the Earth is to irreversible, calamitous climate change from fossil-fuel derived greenhouse gasses.
The BPU commissioners don't seem to care about catastrophic climate change, since their mandate is serving the fossil-fuel interests.
The Pinelands Commission is deeply divided concerning whom they serve: their oath of office to protect the environmentally sensitive region versus their political masters -- Gov. Chris Christie, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney and political power broker George Norcross III.
With pipeline approval, danger to our planet was ignored by both agencies. Leaks during the shale "fracking" process, the source of some natural gas, release into the atmosphere enough methane to make the global warming impact similar to that of burning coal.
Prof. Anthony Ingraffa, who coauthored a Cornell University study on methane leakage and helped develop fracking techniques, wrote in the New York Times in 2013 that "The gas extracted from shale deposits is not a 'bridge' to a renewable energy future -- it's a gangplank to more warming and away from clean energy investments."
For the sake of Mother Earth, our future generations and ourselves, may the lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club-N.J. and NJ Environment receive justice in this morally challenged time.
God willing, the ethical indifference infecting the BPU and some Pinelands Commission members has not infected the judiciary. If it hasn't, justice will be served and the Pinelands protected.
Steven Fenichel
Ocean City
Why is Che Guevara poster in school?
To the Editor:
A friend of mine attended a dance recital at Glassboro High School, and posted a picture on Facebook he took at the school of a poster of Che Guevara, the late Marxist revolutionary in Latin America.
Since Che is regarded as terrorist, a mass murderer and an originator of gulags, I sent an email to Glassboro Superintendent of Schools Mark Silverstein on Dec. 20 asking why the poster had been hung. As of this writing, I have not received an answer.
I followed up with an email to Gloucester County Freeholder Director Freeholder (Robert) Damminger on Jan. 18. I have not received a response to this email, either.
So now I wish all readers to know that the superintendent and the freeholder director, a Democrat, apparently don't care about this poster.
And the Democrats say they aren't far-left crazy?
Mike Herner
Williamstown
Back N.J. retirement income exemption
To the Editor:
For most of us in New Jersey, retirement is expensive. This is why I am glad to hear that political leaders are now talking about a real tax cut for retirees in the middle class. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney has proposed increasing the New Jersey tax exemption for pension benefits and similar retirement income to as much as $100,000 a year.
This is something we should absolutely do and I support it.
There exist programs for the rich and the poor, but we need more ways for the state to help middle class families and individuals. This change would also make New Jersey more competitive with other states like Pennsylvania and Florida. which do not tax retirement income at all.
We should be looking for ways to keep people in our state, especially retirees, because they contribute to our economy and don't have children in the schools.
I also support this proposal because it would make it easier and more affordable for people to retire near their New Jersey kids and grandchildren.
Joe Baker
West Deptford Township
Editor's note: Current New Jersey law limits the retirement income exemption to $15,000 for a single filer and $20,000 for a couple filing jointly. Under the proposal, the exemptions would jump to $75,000 and $1000,000 respectively.
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