Our nation is in great need of a wave of new, healthy, and clean industry that are strong enough to lift all boats. Across the country communities are finding that wave in the clean energy technologies that create stable jobs and decrease our environmental footprint.

I applaud the Valdosta Industrial Authority for seeing this opportunity and attempting, through the proposed Wiregrass Biomass Plant, to bring that wave to our region.

However, the proposed Wiregrass facility is not ‘green' or clean, and compared with our other, more abundant energy options, will be vastly more expensive and create fewer stable jobs for our county.

First, no ‘green’ or clean energy technology emits the types of particulate matter and other pollutants, including CO2, that would be emitted daily from the Wiregrass Plant. Medical associations from Massachusetts to Florida have issued official statements warning against the heart disease and cancer causing risks of these types of operations.

Wiregrass LLC has stated that their facility will help take dirty coal-fired power plants off-line, thus improving our region’s air and water quality. The fact is, however, the Wiregrass Biomass Plant will simply increase pollution and greenhouse gases, with no researched opportunity of ever taking existing coal-fired power plants off-line.

Valdosta, like all of Georgia, can meet energy demand more cheaply with investments in energy efficiency. Study after study proves, investments into energy efficiency (weatherizing homes and retrofitting existing facilities) creates more energy, reduces the most pollution, and creates more stable jobs on the dollar, than any traditional dirty combustion process.

Since we are all concerned with pollution, health, creating stable and well-paying jobs, and meeting energy demand cheaply, I encourage the folks at Wiregrass LLC to prioritize their investments into energy efficiency and real renewable energy and, with citizen input, work to truly enhance and revitalize our county’s economy.

Seth Gunning

Valdosta

Lay off our president

I keep reading in the rant and rave section about people voicing their opinions about the president taking his wife out to dinner. I don’t think it is any harm for him to show his wife some love and concern. He is trying to run our country and look out for our welfare.

And leave our vice president alone. I like him. He has the same name as my dad did. He was a Joe too. I don’t see anybody complaining about these rappers and movie stars showing their mansion homes on TV and five and six expensive cars in the yard that cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Please lay off our president and pray for him.

Susie Brown

Valdosta