MAILBAG - Jan. 5, 2007

Godless more dangerous

Self-professed atheist Niko Theris claimed that his atheism has served him and others with whom he “relates very well for many trips around the sun.” (“Informed by visits to local churches,” Mailbag, Dec. 29) Mr. Theris finds the different versions of the Holy Bible inconsistent with immutability and inerrancy, and even notes that churches differ in size, architecture, formality, attendance, music and other variables.

I wonder if all houses of atheism are identical in size, architecture, formality, attendance, music, etc. I also wonder where the atheist hospitals and soup kitchens are. One can find countless Lutheran, Catholic and other hospitals built and run by Christians, but strangely enough, not one by atheists who consider themselves so very moral and intellectual.

In fact, people of faith are happier, have less clinical depression, less suicide, less alcoholism, less drug abuse, less homosexuality and live longer than their cynical counterparts devoid of spiritual values and faith. More than 100 million human beings were murdered by godless socialists in the 20th century alone, and that ghastly total continues to climb far faster than the deaths attributable to religious fanatics, which are chiefly Muslim.

JOHN JAEGER

Irvine

Eligibility of workers should be verified

Regarding your question of the week, “Should the Laguna Beach Day Labor Center be required to verify the immigration status of workers or should employers do so?,” I say both!

The day labor site has a responsibility to make sure that the workers registering there are legal and the employers hiring the day laborers have the responsibility to make sure that they are hiring only legal workers.

Now, when your “mom and pop” drive in to hire a worker for the day, it would be difficult for them to know whether the worker is legal or illegal — that is why the center needs to be checking for immigration status as well.

SANDRA SWEET

Mission Viejo

Local energy-saving efforts pay off

I just learned that the Top of the World grammar school that our two sons attended long ago gets 40% of its power from solar energy. School Principal Ron Lamont told me that solar panels placed on rooftops have been converting the sun’s rays into low-cost electricity that helps power the school.

Children at Top of the World are taught the basics of how this alternative energy system works, so they are learning the technology of environmental sustainability. This use of alternative energy was made possible by a State of California grant that was largely the work of engineer Eric Jetta, director of facilities and grounds for the Laguna Beach Unified School District.

How well is this alternative energy system working? Mr. Jetta said that since the solar panels began generating power in 2005, Top of the World school has reduced electricity purchases by a whopping 53%! Our school board and district office deserve our gratitude for the foresight and leadership shown.

What Top of the World School has modeled is a fresh, economical, local approach to dealing with escalating energy costs and, even more importantly, the growing danger of global warming.

The technologies are here for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and energy bills at the same time.

Sixty-two California cities have taken the step of setting their goal at meeting or beating the Kyoto Protocol standard. This means reducing global warming gases by 7% from 1990 levels by 2012. These municipalities committed to work toward this goal when they signed on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. The agreement can be accessed at: www.cityofseattle. net/mayor/climate/ cpaText.htm.

If Laguna Beach were to adopt the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, our city would commit to purchasing Energy Star appliances and equipment. Sixty-two other California cities among 330 cities nationwide have made this commitment.

Will an Energy Star commitment result in some City Hall purchases costing more than otherwise would be the case? Possibly. But in the long run, as the above figures indicate, our city will save money and operate on an environmentally sound basis. By adopting the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement Laguna Beach would be living up to its countywide reputation for enlightened governance. Also, it would be holding true to the Vision Laguna 2030 Report that calls for promoting “the city’s sustainable environmental health.”

TOM OSBORNE

Laguna Beach