LETTER: What do Utahns really want
They want to live in a house made out of wood and concrete and stone with gypsum wallboard and nice windows. They want central air and heating – keeping the temperature about 70 or72 degrees year around. They want lights in the house and lots of lights the surrounding areas for safety. They want washing machines, refrigerators, TV sets, stereos, lawn mowers, edgers, blowers and snow blowers.
They want an automobile (preferably a SUV or pick up), with an air conditioner and heater, for every driver in the family. They want to be able to put in fuel or charge the battery in that vehicle and be able to go to work, see family or take a vacation. They want access to public transportation, buses, trains, ships and airplanes. The want to be able to drive on good roads made with concrete or asphalt surfaces.
They want abundant and varied foods and nice lawns and gardens, using fertilizers and herbicides. They want to wash their clothes. They want cell phones and computers. Now they want AI data centers that will use huge amounts of energy.
A recent letter to the Editor said 76% of Utahns “want water, air and wildlife habitat preserved on public lands” I think we all want that – but Utahns also want to live in a house, drive a vehicle, have plenty of food to eat, and maintain the wonderful, high standard of living that we all enjoy here in the United States. And Utahns want to pass on that high standard of living to our children and grandchildren. In order to do that you have to cut down trees. mine minerals and coal and pump oil and gas out of the ground.
Radical environmentalists want to stop all new mining or energy production projects of any kind in Utah. They want to shut down some coal-fired plants (these plants provide 80% of the power we use). But everything we want, has to be grown or come from a mine. We can’t “have our cake and eat it, too.” If you “talk the talk” and really do want to stop all new logging and mining and energy production, then you have to “walk the walk.”
We are smart, resourceful people with great technological tools. practical experience, ingenuity and a huge industrial base. There is a middle ground here. We can work things out if we are reasonable and educate ourselves. No one is going to get everything they want. But if we work together, we can prudently develop the abundant natural resources we need and continue to live the good life.
O. Jay Gatten
Certified Professional Geologist
Kaysville