Energy Policies and Gulf War

I was outraged to read in the paper (Feb. 9) that President Bush is not encouraging stiffer standards for gasoline consumption for automobiles, but instead is allowing automobile manufacturers to continue to produce gas-guzzling, smog-producing cars. Living in the Los Angeles area, we are forced to live in a cloud of smog most of the time, which can only be diminished by reducing the sources of pollution, among them the gasoline consumption of cars. We must require the auto manufacturers to produce more fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles.

In addition, I oppose opening up the Alaskan wilderness to explore for oil and building more nuclear power plants. If we continue consumption of petroleum as rapidly as we are at present, there will be none left for our grandchildren, and by increasing our use of nuclear power we will pollute our Earth for the foreseeable future.

ANITA RIVERO

Downey