Letters to the Editor

Addressing concerns over FERC permitting process

Regarding the March 4 article, "Wave-power permits alarm locals": The article ignored the solid efforts the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has made to ensure that the potential development of new hydrokinetic technologies balances the interests and needs of all stakeholders.

The article claims that the FERC process "feels like a new Klondike gold rush." In reality, FERC addressed this concern more than a year ago when we implemented a "stricter scrutiny" approach requiring preliminary permit holders of hydrokinetic projects to meet specific milestones in order to retain those permits. A preliminary permit only gives the holder priority to study a site. To develop the site, the holder must apply for a license and undergo a rigorous public review process.

FERC also has gone to great lengths to ensure that the process for the development of hydrokinetic projects is a public one. We convened a technical conference in December 2006 that led to the "stricter scrutiny" approach.

We are listening. And we continue to modify our processes as necessary. In July 2007, FERC staff proposed a five-year pilot license process for these new ocean technologies. And in October 2007, I personally led a technical conference in Portland, Ore., to hear from state and federal agencies, fishermen, and all interested parties.

Philip D. Moeller
Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Washington, D.C.

Regarding the March 4 article, "Wave-power permits alarm locals": The article exemplifies one of the difficulties of implementing processes to reduce global warming. One single action is not enough to combat global warming – many actions should be tried. Wave power (hydrokinetics) is one of these actions that should be developed.

An example of the difficulty is the local concern over projects, such as the one on the Mississippi River. It is not easy to tell whether the concerns are for the balanced best interests of all or merely NIMBY arguments.

Certainly, changing FERC permitting procedure to allow faster notification to local communities affected is desirable.

Bob Brown
Reading, Mass.

Public education raises standards

In response to the March 10 article, "Home-schoolers reel from a court blow": No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has its faults, but it did raise the bar for all educators. Before NCLB, it would not be unusual for a person with a college degree in television and radio media to teach biology at an inner-city high school.

NCLB put a stop to this devastating practice of school districts putting in any warm body they could cheaply find to teach their students.

I applaud California for raising the bar even higher than the federal government by requiring home-school parents to have an education before they attempt to educate our future.

Maybe Mom is the nicest person her children know, but it doesn't qualify her to teach them.

A public school teacher must first have a college degree in the subject they will teach, from an accredited college/university, then at least one year postgraduate studies in pedagogy to qualify for a California teaching credential.

Education levels the playing field for our children, but home schooling by unqualified people only digs a hole for their students.

Ann Logan
Anaheim, Calif.

The Monitor welcomes your letters and opinion articles. Because of the volume of mail we receive, we can neither acknowledge nor return unpublished submissions. All submissions are subject to editing. Letters must be signed and include your mailing address and telephone number. Any letter accepted may appear in print or on our website, www.csmonitor.com. Mail letters to Readers Write and Opinion pieces to Opinion Page, One Norway St., Boston, MA 02115. E-mail letters to Letters and Opinion pieces to OpEd.