John Kimbrough’s Sept. 10 letter “Quit whining about trains,” on transporting oil and coal, is a sad commentary on people’s views and understanding of the environment. I certainly do not live next to railroad tracks and would venture to guess that the majority of those opposed to rail transport of oil/coal do not live next to railroad tracks.
The major problem, especially with coal, is its impact on humans mining the coal and the eventual harmful impact on the environment (its environmental impact is much higher than fossil fuels). If anyone wishes to read a factual article on “clean coal,” read the April 2014 National Geographic (http://tinyurl.com/oufyxj3).
The North Dakota crude is a problem since there is a refining capacity problem in the United States and to keep shipping the amount of crude projected, it must be exported — something that is being lobbied for by the oil producers. This crude is extremely volatile and more dangerous than normal crude oil. I found it ironic that on the page next to Kimbrough’s letter, there appeared the article “Carbon dioxide levels reach record high in ’13.”
This opposition has absolutely nothing to do with living by the tracks; it has everything to do with acting responsibly now so that future generations may have the ability to live in a healthy environment as our generation has done in the past.
