Guest Editorial, by Linda Raynolds. April 12, 2019
Dear Secretary of State Buchanan,
I was disappointed to read your recent letter to the editor, which appeared in my hometown newspaper, The Cody Enterprise. You write of your opposition to the temporary Court-ordered suspension of thousands of acres of o&g leases by the BLM, due to lack of NEPA compliance prior to the issuance of those leases. I understand that your office concerns itself with the business aspects of Wyoming, and that you have to be a promoter of economic activity of all sorts in the State. That being said, it is very disturbing to me that you sent out a media blast to local newspapers denying the premise upon which these leases have been suspended by Court order: the clear and present danger of climate catastrophe.
Easy enough for your business office to promote carbon intensive industries with insufficient environmental review—but have you ever given a moment’s thought to the scenarios of extinction, drought, famine, war, etc that will be the likely reality for today’s children? Science (not fake news or religious dogma) informs us that we are very close to the tipping point where true disaster scenarios will no longer be avoidable unless we immediately and drastically cut back carbon emissions.
Citizens are already getting sick all over Wyoming from industrial pollution. Pinedale has ozone smog equivalent to LA. People in several parts of the state are suffering from the proximity of fracking to their homes. They are developing neurological problems and asthma, as well as having their potable water sources contaminated with proprietary poisons. Your office should maintain at least a base level of moral accountability towards the citizens of our State, as well as the world. The policies of the State of Wyoming should be part of the solution, not a major contributor to the problem.
I’ve been a Wyoming voter for 45 years. You can guess who will not get my vote in the next election.
Sincerely, Linda Raynolds, Cody, Wy.