Letters to the Editor

To the editor,

When faced with controversial issues, it is my belief that a person should form their own opinion based on facts and research. When I became aware of the Appaloosa Solar project being planned in Garfield County, I researched the company and renewable energy in order to find facts and build an opinion based not on arguments but on research.

Appaloosa Solar LLC., is a subsidiary company of HQC Solar Holding 1 LLC., which is governed by Hanwha QCells Co., Ltd. Although QCells has manufacturing locations in America, its global headquarters is in Seoul, South Korea. According to a US Security and Exchange Commission report, the largest shareholder of QCells is Hanwha Solutions, the largest stakeholder of which is Hanwha Corporation. Hanwha Corporation's beneficial owner is Mr. Seung-Youn Kim, an executive officer of the company who spent time in prison for embezzlement (Sim In-bo). Only 6.81% of Hanwha shares are owned by US investors.

Placing our power grid in foreign hands leaves the United States vulnerable and dependent. Beyond this, our tax money, in accordance with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), is being used to subsidize renewable energy projects constructed by foreign companies. It is not the need for energy, but the tempting incentives that drive the installment of utility-scale solar projects. "The clean energy industries that are on the receiving end of hundreds of billions of dollars of subsidies, as well as workers in those industries, will be beneficiaries of the IRA." (Rosetti). I have not found if QCells will be receiving subsidies. If they are, I am against my tax money being paid to foreign investors.

The push for solar power and renewable energy in general is based on a lie. The theory that global warming is caused by human CO2 emissions is held by the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Dr. Zbigniew Jaworowski and other scientists have compiled evidence that disproves much of what the IPCC has presented as indisputable fact. "Human beings may be responsible for less than 0.01°C of warming during the last century; the hypothesis that the currently observed 'Modern Warming' is a result of anthropogenic CO2, and of other greenhouse gas emissions, is a myth" (Jaworowski).

In other words, it's a lie. A convenient lie for those who wish to gain money and power. One of the founders of Greenpeace, Patrick Moore, left Greenpeace in 2015 because "Greenpeace was 'hijacked' by the political left when they realized there was money and power in the environmental movement (Holle)."

We should reject these lies because benefitting from a lie makes one complicit in that lie. As Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote, "Though lies may conceal everything, though lies may control everything, we should be obstinate about this one small point: let them be in control but without any help from any of us."

It may seem impossible to stand against the ideology of climate change, but let us at least not perpetuate the lie or be bribed with our own money. We can do it if we will do it together.

The relationships between family, friends, and neighbors are the fabric that makes our county strong, shapes our identity, and protects our freedoms. Perhaps the most saddening facet of the renewable energy issue is the rending of these relationships. Garfield County is a special place; our community bonds are sacred and precious. Now we find ourselves faced with a polarizing issue. Many feel fearful or betrayed; while others feel they are taking opportunities and doing the best with what they have. The fracturing of our community bonds is of more concern than any consequence of renewable energy.

We must not allow hate to tear our fabric apart or we may find ourselves in jeopardy of losing our identity and freedoms. Regardless of whether Appaloosa Solar is constructed or not, I humbly ask that we would examine ourselves and find a place in our hearts for forgiveness because a house divided against itself cannot stand.

Westelle Scoggin

Pomeroy, Wash.

 Holle, Peter. "Greenpeace Founder Patrick Moore Says Climate Change Based On False Narratives" Frontier Centre for Public Policy, 16 Sep, 2022. https://fcpp.org/2022/09/16/greenpeace-founder-patrick-moore-says-climate-change-based-on-false-narratives/

In-bo, Sim. "Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn's "Prison Break"". KCIJ Newstapa, 23 Dec, 2017. https://www.newstapa.org/article/fbtohh2b33?lang=eng

Jaworowski, Zbigniew. "CO2: The Greatest Scientific Scandal of Our Time". Edberry.com. 29 Sep, 2023. https://edberry.com/co2-the-greatest-scientific-scandal-of-our-time/

Rosetti, Phillip. "Testimony on Climate Change and the Inflation Reduction Act." R Street. 29 Sep, 2022. https://www.rstreet.org/outreach/testimony-on-climate-change-and-the-inflation-reduction-act/

Solzhenitsyn, Alexander. "Live Not By Lies." Moscow, 1974. Sage Journals, 6 Dec, 2012. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03064220408537357

Unites States Securities and Exchange Commission. "Annual Report Pursuant To Section 13 Or 15(D) Of The Securities Exchange Act Of 1934", 31 Dec, 2016. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1371541/000114420 w417023425/v464902_20f.htm#hqc_007

To the editor,

I'm sure we've all had a neighbor more crass than we'd like. Maybe one not cut from the same ilk as we may be comfortable with. I had one such neighbor since living here.

She swore like a sailor and didn't have many teeth. If I had a cold, she told me I washed too much. She would tell me what supplements to take if I mentioned an ailment. She didn't mind stepping on my toes. She said it like it was.

She was a country-loving, horse person who hailed from the dusty roads of Missouri. She grew up caving with friends which she called spelunking. She won many a horse show with her beloved horse Kitty. She gave me one of her shirts.

You may know her as Beverly Bales. My daughters called her Ms. Bev. She was a friend to me when I had none here. She taught my two girls to ride. She and I would sit on upside down buckets in the evening and chat.

She fed the birdies, raised some chickens, and shared her carrots with her horse. One bite for Kitty, one bite for Bev and so it went. She taught me to appreciate the simple things of life.

Beneath her crusty character was a tender heart. She listened. She wouldn't hug me back. But, when I gave her a hug, her eyes filled with tears and she'd look away.

In spite of her years of construction work and her work with her horses, Bev had beautiful artist's hands. They were slender and delicate and her artwork was amazing. "How do you learn to draw?" I asked her. "You either have it or you don't," she said. We lost a local artist with her passing.

Good bye, my friend. Miss you stopping by to chat. Miss your cheerful honks as you drove by to feed your horses. I'm sure the horses are beautiful where you are. Ride on.

Kathryn Tapio

Dayton, Wash.