LETTERS
Algae instead of Corn for Bio-Fuel

To the Editor:

Algae multiplies so quickly and produces so much oxygen per square foot that ponds with a total surface area five times the size of Colorado would be enough to start to reverse our growing CO2 problem. Algae triples in volume every day. Corn, with 1 crop per year, nets approximately 81 gallons bio-diesel per acre (soy nets 40). Algae yields as high as 15,000 gallons per acre. Enough biodiesel to replace all petroleum transportation fuels could be grown in approximately 9.5 million acres - far less than the 450 million acres used for crop farming in the US, and the over 500 million acres animal grazing land. Hydrogen is dangerous/explosive, extremely expensive and nets zero energy, i.e. it uses more energy than it creates. Algae converts CO2 to O2; is 30-50% oil; and converts easily to Bio-Fuel. Conservation reduces present and future production of CO2. Algae reduces EXISTING CO2. The government needs to quit looking at corn and begin massive and wholesale funding and grants for algae. A new state agri-business of algae farms? Or grants for ocean farming? Algae, pond scum also a planet saver? Yes, if we take action!

Tami Freedman

Ooltewah TN

Making some progress

To the Editor:

Living in Georgia, where law-abiding citizens routinely "keep and bear" firearms for personal protection in homes, businesses, and vehicles, we tend to forget that there are places in this country where exercising such God-given, constitutionally protected individual rights are denied. Take for example, Washington, D. C. (on and off, the murder capital of the nation), where the law prohibits having an assembled, operable, loaded shotgun in the home (an unassembled, inoperable, unloaded shotgun is about as useful as a stick for self-defense), and absolutely bans possession of all handguns not acquired and registered before 1977 (and even handguns registered before 1977 cannot be carried from room to room in a home without a license, which is never granted!). From time to time, such draconian laws are challenged, and once in a blue moon, the anti-self-defense forces actually lose. Such was the case last week when the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit reversed a lower federal court on all counts and concluded that "the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms." Hurrah! This case was not about machine guns and assault weapons, it was about ordinary, law-abiding citizens wanting to possess functional firearms within their homes for selfdefense, and they won! This was the second time in recent years that a federal circuit court has upheld the individual nature of the Second Amendment, so we are making some progress in restoring our basic rights.

Cordially, Chuck Esposito

Suches, Ga.