WORSHIPPING FALSE PROFITS
Brooke Larsen’s article “Utah’s coal mines can’t find enough workers” (March 2025) is the ammunition we need for a fight we currently face in South-central Alaska. Our public utility, the Matanuska Electric Association, has been hearing the pandering of Terra, a “clean coal” firm, proposing a multibillion-dollar project.
In Larsen’s article, I was struck by some of the stories of hard-working miners. It is frustrating that yet again, labor and “jobs” are at the forefront of the messaging for these unsustainable, destructive and, frankly, 20th century power plants. Alaska is vital in the fight for actual carbon capture and storage. Must we give up public lands and public utilities for private profits yet again?
Andy Paul
Palmer, Alaska
I’m always nonplussed when I read about companies that can’t get a “workforce.” We live in a capitalist economy. If you can’t get what you need, up your offer until you get it, or do without. Were coal mines to offer $50 an hour instead of $26, they’d likely find more qualified miners than they need. But then upper management couldn’t make their yacht, mansion and Bentley payments, so that’s never going to happen.
Rusty Austin
Rancho Mirage, California
LOVING — AMD RENEWING — FIERCELY!
At 85-plus years old, I was considering downsizing by not renewing. Then, in the March edition, I read Jennifer Sahn’s editor’s note, “Love fiercely,” and knew that I had to support HCN and the many concerns that it voices.
Katherine Kelly
Pinedale, Wyoming
AN ARMY FOR THE EARTH
“A Fight We Can Win” (February 2025) by Alexander Lemons was just what I needed to refresh my spirit. His story about his work along the Jordan River was a wonderful anecdote about the power of restoration in rejuvenating his mental and physical state. Please continue these positive stories, as it is easy to fall into despair and hopelessness in today’s turmoil.
Cheryl Chipman
Bishop, California
I enjoyed reading Alexander Lemons’ piece about his journey from a life in the military to one in ecosystem restoration. One line stood out to me, “If we want to restore the natural world our lives depend on … we’ll need to put an army to work for the rest of the century.” By relaunching the Civilian Conservation Corps, we have such an opportunity to work on twin crises in our country: climate change and the dearth of meaningful work available to our youth. Though it seems like a long shot in the present moment, let’s hope Lemons’ call to return people from endless military activity overseas and put them to work restoring our environment does not fall on deaf ears forever.
Jake Hanft
San Francisco, California
NATIVE FIRE CULTURE IS HOT
I just read “Lit up,” (February 2025) and wanted to thank you. I was on a Forest Service wildland crew for a handful of years, and you did a lovely job describing what the work is like and the way it is in equal parts incredibly challenging and incredibly rewarding (and fun).
I also really appreciated your incorporation of Indigenous fire culture and management. One of the most impactful experiences of my life was working on a large wildfire complex on Karuk land in Northern California, where the tribe was meaningfully incorporated into the incident command structure. It is awesome to see Indigenous fire managers given the space to lead these efforts, as they have since time immemorial.
Delaney Rudy
Paonia, Colorado
Western Watersheds Project
FINDING THE REAL FRAUD
I was wondering why there were suddenly so many postings on Facebook by park rangers, Fish and Wildlife researchers and Forest Service employees about getting fired. They seem to follow a theme of having good job reviews, then being told they weren’t any good and being fired. Your article (“People brace for impacts on land, water and wildlife after feds fire thousands over holiday weekend,” Feb. 17, 2025) explains why I’m suddenly seeing all those posts.
Thanks for documenting the bumbling efforts of this administration’s amateurs, made up of Elon Musk’s software interns turned expert government auditors. They feel that shouting the word “fraud” is justification enough, and the public is so stupid it won’t even ask what kind of fraud, or why a fraud investigation that should take weeks or even months was accomplished in a matter of minutes. The reason is, of course, that it’s not true.
Alton Marsh,
Frederick, Maryland
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