So, Donald... An Open Letter to Donald Trump

Soaring oil and gas prices and the devastation oflifelong sentence of some measure of disability.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have finally brought anAirborne pollutants are also responsible for an
issue into sharp focus for the public: When itexponential increase in asthma, particularly in
comes to energy, we're in trouble! We import farchildren. Increasing the use of coal without
more crude oil than we produce in the Unitedimplementing immediate pollution controls would
States; fully 70 percent of our oil comes fromonly intensify the pollution and its
five countries in the Middle East, arguably theconsequences.Environmental experts familiar with
most volatile and politically unstable region in thecoal burning plants estimate that it would cost a
world.We need to develop sustainable, renewable,million dollars per smokestack to decrease the
safe sources of energy to provide power for ourpollutants emitted to acceptable levels. The utility
homes and businesses. One real danger is,plants themselves have resisted this expenditure,
however, that as the memory of Katrina fadesand have lobbied successfully to stop
and the prices drop at the gas pump, the publicgovernmental enforcement of environmental
will also lose focus, and fail to continue theregulations; the fledgling Bush administration quickly
pressure needed for politicians to generatestopped lawsuits, begun by the EPA during the
change. What we need is a standard bearer - aClinton administration, which would have forced
big, vocal, powerful, charismatic standardthese plants to implement pollution controls.So,
bearer.So, Donald... When are you going to buildDonald, where do you come in? With your
the world's first off-the-grid skyscraper?Just thinkvisibility, your cult status, and your corporate
of it - wind turbines on the roof, sheets of solarclout, you could easily raise the money to fix
panels covering the south side of the building, and,every smokestack in the country. NFL and NBA
to heat and cool the building, biodiesel,players, CEOs, Hollywood actors, producers, and
manufactured on site from discarded vegetable oildirectors, multimillionaires with old money and new
collected from the best restaurants in Manhattan.- and don't forget Oprah - all have the means to
In the interior, piped-in sunlight brightens the livingdonate a million dollars, or more, to adopt a
area while saving on electricity; a gray-watersmokestack. We could virtually eliminate the
system recycles water throughout the buildingpollution problem from these coal burning plants in
and can be reused for showers, baths, and lushshort order - much more quickly than will be
gardens on every floor. Bamboo flooring andaccomplished by lawsuits and governmental
other renewable materials create a rich ambianceinterference. We could offer to fix these
while promoting the concept of green living.Whilesmokestacks in exchange for one promise - that
you're at it...How does an "Adopt a Smokestack"the utility plants do not sell their pollution credits to
campaign sound?In talking about decreasing ouranyone else.All of the technology needed for both
dependence on foreign oil, one alternative beingof these projects is available today, and would put
discussed is relying more on domestically minedthis country on the path to sustainability and
coal. At this moment, coal burning is alreadyenergy independence in short order. And Donald,
responsible for generating more electricity in theyou could pull it off, in grand style.I can see into
U.S. than any other method. Unfortunately, muchthe future: a Newsweek cover with a picture of a
of this coal is being burned by obsolete, highlytowering Donald Trump, and the title, "Donald
polluting utility plants. In the Midwest alone, over aTrump Saves the World." Has a nice ring to
hundred aging coal burning plants spew outit.Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in
pollutants responsible for acid rain which has killedsouthwestern New Hampshire and frequently
hundreds of lakes, streams, and rivers in thecontributes to Tips and Topics. She has published
Northeast. Large amounts of mercury from thesenumerous articles in local and regional publications
plants are deposited in the water and end up inon a wide range of topics, including business,
both freshwater and ocean fish, turning one ofeducation, the arts, and local events. Her feature
the healthiest sources of protein into one of thearticles include an interview with independent
most dangerous - mercury in fish threatens thedocumentary filmmaker Ken Burns and a feature
unborn children of women who ingest it,on prisoners at the New Hampshire State Prison
threatening neurological damage which results in ain Concord.