Clean air affects everyone; get writing

To the Editors:

I am addressing an issue that affects everyone here on Oberlin's campus.

Ohio is the number one polluter of sulfur dioxide and the third heaviest polluter of carbon dioxide in the country. This leads to devastating consequences of 4,000 premature deaths each year in this state, acid rain in the Northeast and a significant contribution to global warming, respectively.

Much of the pollution is due to the 23 coal-fired power plants which are not required to met the current standards set forth in the Clean Air Act of 1970. The industries argued that they should be exempt from these standards because they would soon shut down; however, they continue to pollute to this day after 28 years. This lethal loophole in the Clean Air Act allows these older power plants to pollute without limitations. We are paying the price of their pollution.

To counteract against these power plants, the PIRGs (Public Interest Research Group) have launched the Clean Air Now Pledge to enforce stricter regulations for these old power plants. The pledge has been sent to representatives across the country "to support legislation to clean up pollution from dirty electric power plants."

I urge everyone to write our congressional representative, Sherrod Brown, to sign onto this pledge. This is a problem that affects each and every one of us; after all, it is about the air we breathe.

-Yuri Futamura

College first-year and OhioPIRG Clean Air Now Campaign coordinator

Don't toss your ballot

To the Editors:

Don't throw away that Cable Co-op ballot! Or if you subscribe to cable TV and didn't get a ballot, ask for it at the Cable Co-op office. You're entitled to vote in the board election.

The cable board sets rates and decides which channels to include, among other things.

I have considerable experience on the board and seek re-election. I work hard at this (unpaid) position and hope to continue. I'm also an Oberlin alum.

About 150 students have cable and are thus voting members of the Co-op. I welcome comments about service. Call 774-1611.

The Cable Co-op office is at 23 East College St., next door to the AAA travel agency. The ballot is Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 5:30 p.m. Do it!

-Andrew Ruckman

Oberlin Cable Co-op

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