Letter: Legislators stupid to consider rais..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Oil and natural gas are non-renewable resources and will run out. However, fracking and increased domestic production have given a false sense of security to Utah's legislators. Just because gas and oil seem abundant today does not mean we should greedily burn through them.

We burn 30 percent more fuel at 80 mph than at 55 mph. Recent letters to The Public Forum have pointed out the multiplying effect on pollution particulates by the increased speed limit.

Why, here in Dirty Air Utah, do our legislators want to raise the speed limit? This is not a rhetorical question. I truly would like to know why, given the projected increase in gas consumption, pollution particulates and death tolls, they are even considering this ("80 mph speed zone bill clears House, heads to Senate," Tribune, Feb. 7).

Just as Reagan removed the solar panels on the White House, so are Utah pols trying to roll back the speed limit to dangerous, gluttonous, dirty levels. It may be the "right" thing to do, but it certainly isn't the correct thing.

Rosemary Washington

Murray

Letter: Legislators stupid to consider raising speed limit