Letters for Nov. 29

Don’t speed and you won’t pay

Re: Police chief opposed to nixing photo radar, Nov. 27

I have been caught speeding by photo radar more than once. Guess what? I was speeding.

Reviewing photo radar on the criteria of “does it save lives?” is ridiculous. Of course the demonstrable number of lives saved will be very small. Eliminating this revenue stream will hurt the CPS budget and the Alberta budget.

How about don’t speed. Could it be that too many “friends of the UPC government” get caught speeding too often?

Terry Banks, Cochrane

Will school audit add up?

Re: Public school officials confident about finances, Nov 27

The purpose or definition of an audit is to verify the presentation of financial statements, not offer advice or constructive criticism on how a business is being run. This creates a large disconnect when CBE board chair Marilyn Dennis suggests that an independent audit is proof positive “government funds are being spent in the best way possible.”

Parents aren’t concerned with the math, they are concerned with the ongoing mismanagement that continually and negatively impacts students. The CBE either misunderstands these concerns or their self-congratulatory comments would lead us to believe they are just happy that the numbers add up.

Kris Heron, Calgary

Good feelings but what of it?

Re: Alberta Energy Minister ‘Encouraged’ After Meeting With Federal Counterpart, Nov. 23

It is encouraging to note Alberta Energy minister Sonya Savage found the recent meeting with her federal counterpart Seamus O’Regan a good start.

The significant issue, which will not be resolved, is Ottawa will not be backing down on changing either Bill C-69 or Bill C-48. The concession given by the federal minister is the province can be involved with how the legislation is “implemented” — whatever that means.

JG Gilmour, Calgary

Coal exports are coming from U.S.

Re: Eco-protesters seem oblivious to coal exports, Nov. 27

I agree with Catherine Ford’s column but one key point is missing: The source of boatloads of thermal coal being exported from Vancouver and Prince Rupert is the U.S.

There are two main types of coal: thermal and metallurgical. To make steel, you burn high heating value metallurgical coal or use an incredible amount of electricity. If the electricity comes from a coal-fired plant, there are typically fewer CO2 emissions from burning metallurgical coal. The metallurgical coal exported comes from Elkford near Fernie. In Alberta and Saskatchewan, the coal plants are adjacent to the coal mines. Due to sulphur emission limits (to reduce acid rain), American coal mines are often hundreds or thousands of km from the coal plants. The coal is shipped by rail.

In the last decade, the U.S. has drastically reduced the amount of coal burned to produce electricity. Carbon taxes are a negligible reason. The main reason is price: natural gas is cheap. Instead of shutting down coal mines, the trains are redirected to the West Coast. Oregon and Washington frowns on exporting coal. But not B.C.!

Anthony Wachtler, Calgary

Fact of the matter

As much as it is great to see people defending Alberta’s energy industry it was embarrassing to see Ford’s opinion piece. The coal exports from B.C. are metallurgical coal, not thermal coal. Met coal is used in the manufacturing of steel and there is no substitute, especially when Canada is endowed with some of the highest quality met coal in the world.

Mark Taylor, Calgary