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Wind power fallacies

To the editor:

William Kinney of the University of Buffalo fails to refute the claim that wind turbines “have not been shown to reduce the use of other fuels” (Endeavor News letter, Dec. 2).

He confuses electricity delivery with fuel use. Since wind is highly variable and intermittent, other sources must continue to burn fuel, even when not generating electricity — to be ready to kick in when the wind drops. Those few that can operate more efficiently burn more fuel,and do so with more emissions, with the more frequent starts and stops.

There is also very often a mismatch between wind production and demand, further diminishing wind’s usefulness and its impact on other sources. Stating wind’s potential is a long way from demonstrating its effectiveness. Eric Rosenbloom, Pres.

National Wind Watch

East Hardwick, Vt

Falcon Thank You

To the editor:

Thanks to all of the individuals, groups, organizations and businesses who supported us in the 2006 high school football season. Your loyalty and support was a large part of our success. You helped make this a season to remember.

A special thanks to Radio Station WFRM and its employees and sponsors for making the game broadcasts possible; to the Leader-Enterprise and Neil Linderman for the great coverage, time and efforts each week; to Zito Media for putting our playoff game broadcasts on TV; to Paul Burdick and Lugene Heimel for their excellent photos and to Endeavor News for the newspaper coverage.

We are proud to represent you, our school and our community. We’re also proud to grow up in a community that supports and cares about its youth. Coudersport High School

football team, coaches,

cheerleaders, band and

color guard.

Trapping Defended

To the editor:

I must take issue with statements in a recent letter appearing in your newspaper from Ms. Bonnie Senz representing P.E.T.A.

I question her claim that the American Veterinarian Assn. is on record as calling the steeljaw trap inhumane. My veterinarian feels that although the animal caught in a steel-jaw trap may experience some pain initially, numbness sets in within a few minutes after the trap jaws close on the animal’s foot or leg.

Many times I have come upon trapped animals sleeping until they became aware of my approach. Would they be curled up sleeping if they were experiencing the severe pain Ms. Senz describes? I think not.

All states have a trapping season. The trapping seasons do not allow the taking of animals during pregnancy or lactation. Therefore, no trapped animal is desperately trying to get back to its young.

Ms. Senz should also be aware that traps must by law be attended at least every 36 hours or less. The vast majority of traps are checked every 24 hours or less. During the past 66 years, I have caught thousands of animals in steel traps. I have never had one die from exposure, shock, frostbite, blood loss, infection or gangrene. These conditions just don’t happen in less than 24 hours.

Although it may take nine minutes for an animal trapped under water to drown, they are usually rendered unconscious within a very few minutes of being caught. This is especially true if they are taken in a Connibear trap.

No furtaker intentionally tries to catch dogs, cats, birds, or endangered species. When such animals are caught incidentally, they are usually released unharmed.

Trapping as a wildlife management tool is not fur-industry propaganda. Data obtained from years of study by the Pa. Game Commission and Penn State’s School of Wildlife Management have proven trapping to be a very useful and helpful wildlife management pursuit.

Left alone, animal populations do trend to regulate their numbers. When a species becomes overpopulated, conditions such as rabies, distemper, mange, CWD, and others take care of the excess population. Apparently P.E.T.A. would rather see animals die a slow agonizing death from these conditions than have them killed humanely and turned into a useful product.

Yes, there are fewer people trapping today. Ms. Senz and her ilk have spent millions of dollars for anti-trapping activities, including the spread of misinformation as contained in her letter. These activities have curtailed trapping in some areas, resulting in problems with animal nuisance control. Almost every major city in this country has hired nuisance animal trappers to control overpopulations of raccoon, skunk, opossum, and even coyotes.

Young trappers, do not be swayed by the misinformation and propaganda which comes from P.E.T.A. and other similar organizations.

Ralph R. Brown

Homer City