Friday, Apr. 25, 2008

April 25

Dear Editor:

Kudos to the Courier’s April 18, publication, highlighting environmental issues. For our world to be sustainable we need significant actions at the individual, business and government levels. Your articles touched on efforts at each.

But being a good caretaker of God’s creation we call Earth, it really becomes a mindset, an attitude and an everyday commitment to do the right thing. Smart organizations and individuals are now realizing there is a financial reward for environmental efficiency, but many more are needed. If you, and organizations you are involved with, are not practicing environmental stewardship, it’s not for lack of information. There’s tons of information available. Once an individual has the right attitude, then reducing emissions, increasing recycling, composting yard waste, improving water efficiency, all become second nature. It will also be easier to hold our business, governmental, educational and religious partners accountable for initiating or improving their efforts.

I’m happy that our cities and businesses are making environmental strides and urge all citizens to voice support for aggressively continuing their efforts. A few examples include placing recycle containers in public places, not idling engines, considering environmental and financial benefits and liabilities when making purchases. And, as individuals, if we expect our institutions to act responsibly, let’s hold ourselves to the same high standards.

I wonder if this Courier edition is printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink?

— Georjean Sherriff, Grapevine

Editor’s Note: The Courier is printed on paper that is more than 50 percent recycled; all color inks are soy-based.

Dear Editor:

Regarding your April 18 edition, I am happy to see some city, business and individual efforts illustrating environmental stewardship. Hopefully others will follow their examples and take initiatives to care more about the living organism we call earth.

As a society we are not there yet. We need more action from our schools, religious organizations, neighborhood associations and ourselves. I’ll know we’re on the right path when long term value driven decisions have greater influence than short term economic excuses. As Albert Einstein said, "not everything that counts can be counted; and not everything that can be counted counts."

— John Rath, Grapevine

Dear Editor:

Given the current course and behind the scenes activities in our communities across Tarrant County, gas drilling is moving full speed ahead. Soon, the neighborhoods of Grapevine, Southlake and Colleyville will be fully consumed by the aggressions of the energy producers. Unfortunately, we will not realize the consequences until it is long past the time to take action.

The key front for our communities’ action is in the realm of our cities’ relevant regulations -- the gas drilling ordinances. We need to ensure our communities are moving to increase the 500 - 1000 foot allowances, and to implement much tighter and costly requirements to ensure the energy producers are putting all possible protections in place. We need to be pushing our city leadership actively to make ordinance changes. Otherwise, individual entities that own significant parcels of land within our communities and bordering our green belts and nature trails are entirely free to sell us down the path to environmental destruction. Without our broader action, we will all be seeing, hearing, smelling, drinking, and paying dearly for the results. Please don’t take offense to my passion. Our beautiful communities are at stake. Let’s not allow the natural beauty we enjoy all around us to be thrown away for a few pennies that end up costing us all in the devaluation of our property and, most importantly, affecting our health and environment.

— Nancy Kamm, Grapevine