Western Railroad Discussion > Mosier Siding editorial

"Railroads Essential to Commerce" by RaeLynn Ricarte: http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2017/jun/17/editorial-railroads-essential-commerce/

Ms Ricarte seems to "get it", as many do not.

There was an interesting mis-guided op ed in the Sac Bee the other day by a Sierra Club person condemning the use of gas appliances (water heaters, heaters, etc) and saying we should all switch to electric. (Wasn't it just a few years ago that folks were advocating switching to gas?). Of course, how do we make that electricity? And if you are a NorCal person, have you been watching your PG&E bill this year? Getting off soapbox now.

TJY

ORNHOO: thanks for posting this link. Finally we have something intelligent.

Bruce

I make that "electric" with solar panels on my house....
By the way, that was one of the best arguments for railroads I have ever read.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

That was a very well written piece, thanks for posting. It is sad that adding to existing infrastructure is treated as if it was a brand new line tearing through some pristine landscape.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

icancmp193 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ms Ricarte seems to "get it", as many do not.
>
> There was an interesting mis-guided op ed in the
> Sac Bee the other day by a Sierra Club person
> condemning the use of gas appliances (water
> heaters, heaters, etc) and saying we should all
> switch to electric. (Wasn't it just a few years
> ago that folks were advocating switching to gas?).
> Of course, how do we make that electricity? And if
> you are a NorCal person, have you been watching
> your PG&E bill this year? Getting off soapbox
> now.
>
> TJY

OH MY GOODNESS you don't get it either? Just like me I don't get it either after taking some trips south to the SFO area. Thousands of cars inching there way across town before dawn and sometimes into the night. Then this BS nothing different about those groups down there thinking they know better. They send money north to OR and buy up farms turn them into sanctuary's for birds taking them off the tax rolls.
Switch back to electric appliances? Thought the big deal was get off the grid for some as gas was better for the environment that way the bird killers wouldn't be needed for the grid. The Sierra Club has caused more problems than they ever solved except in there misguided minds.

icancmp193 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ms Ricarte seems to "get it", as many do not.
>
> There was an interesting mis-guided op ed in the
> Sac Bee the other day by a Sierra Club person
> condemning the use of gas appliances (water
> heaters, heaters, etc) and saying we should all
> switch to electric. (Wasn't it just a few years
> ago that folks were advocating switching to gas?).
> Of course, how do we make that electricity? And if
> you are a NorCal person, have you been watching
> your PG&E bill this year? Getting off soapbox
> now.
>
> TJY

The irony is that many power plants are now gas fired, so switching to electric appliances IS switching to gas. They are seem to be overlooking the conversion and transmission losses. Less energy is consumed by heating directly with the fuel. Does their stance mean that the Sierra Club now supports building more power plants and transmission lines?

I'm all for reducing greenhouse gasses, but the whole energy system has to be taken into account.

Sort of like folks who plug their Tesla into the wall socket and decide they're green.

Posted from Android

Suspect the STB will have a say in this.

StStephen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ORNHOO: thanks for posting this link. Finally we
> have something intelligent.
>
> Bruce


You are welcome, but shouldn't you be thanking RaeLynn Ricarte directly?
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/staff/

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sort of like folks who plug their Tesla into the
> wall socket and decide they're green.
>
> Posted from Android

I agree with this sentiment to some extent, but in many areas electric power consumers have a choice about where and how the power they use is generated. Some of these Tesla users may be plugging in and getting their power to recharge their cars from power that is generated from wind turbines or even solar panels. I'm sure that's not the case for everyone, but for some it certainly is possible.

I totally agree with the editorial, by the way.

Kim Heusel



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/17 18:40 by KimHeusel.

KimHeusel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Sort of like folks who plug their Tesla into
> the
> > wall socket and decide they're green.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> I agree with this sentiment to some extent, but in
> many areas electric power consumers have a choice
> about where and how the power they use is
> generated. Some of these Tesla users may be
> plugging in and getting their power to recharge
> their cars from power that is generated from wind
> turbines or even solar panels. I'm sure that's not
> the case for everyone, but for some it certainly
> is possible.
>
> Kim Heusel


That's absolutely true, although I suspect the number of Tesla / BMW-e / Volt etc owners who have and actively exercise that option is a modest % of the total ownership

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sort of like folks who plug their Tesla into the
> wall socket and decide they're green.
>
> Posted from Android

Out here in Tesla Land (Silicon Valley) where I see Model S and X all the time (with the occasional early-adopter Roadsters thrown in), I don't think being "Green" is the primary motivation of the ownership at all. Lots of gadget freaks bought or leased the cars to be "cool." Seen plenty of gray-haired folks in them, too.

My opinion is, these are not your typical Toyota Prius clientele.

Yes, a very well thought out editorial. Not all journalists are delusional idealists. Kudos to the writer and The Dalles Chronicle.

A very logical and well articulated article. However, if you go back from 2007 (Doug's Beach siding approval) to 1993, the Columbia Gorge Commission's stance on rail expansion looked more like "back to the future". I've stated it before so I won't go into all the details, but the reason the Stampede Pass was reopened in 1995/1996 was because the CGC had delayed a decision on a request for two additional sidings on the Fallbridge Sub in the gorge and senior management got fed up with waiting for or appeasing the commission. We were directed to come up with alternate solutions, the easiest being reopening the Stampede. The operating plan featured using it for trains that could bypass the Fallbridge (although we originally designed it to be bi-directional, rather than single directional as it predominately is today). So while the CGC did alter there stance in 2007, the 1993 stance was basically "their way or the highway" - which, ironically, is exactly where a lot of the traffic that can't run through the gorge on rails will go!