Alcoa supports this action on climate change

Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a clean-energy bill that will strengthen national security, decrease our nation's reliance on imported fuels and reduce global warming in a mature, balanced and reasonable approach. As a Pittsburgh area resident and as the vice president of sustainability and environment, health and safety for Alcoa Inc., I would like to thank U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle for voting for the bill.

Over the past few months I have had the opportunity to speak with a number of U.S. congressmen, including Mike Doyle, on climate-change legislation. Rep. Doyle has provided strong leadership in formulating a balanced approach to greenhouse-gas emission reduction in this legislation. He clearly understood the need for America to provide global leadership on this issue, but to do so in a manner that supports our economy and preserves industrial competitiveness.

Alcoa, as a founding member of the United States Climate Action Partnership, favors the enactment of legislation that will slow, stop and reverse the growth of greenhouse-gas emissions over the shortest time reasonably achievable. Alcoa has supported a cap-and-trade program that ensures both economic and environmental success.

Alcoa has voluntarily reduced its own greenhouse gas emissions by 36 percent from a 1990 base and understands the importance of effective global action on this issue.

Thank you, Mr. Doyle and your colleagues, for voting for the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

BILL O'ROURKE
Vice President
Sustainability and Environment, Health and Safety
Alcoa Inc.
North Shore

Be honest about bill

Perhaps the most unsettling of the many problems with the cap-and-trade bill passed by the House recently is the condescending dishonesty under which it has been marketed. We have been told repeatedly that this legislation will help to create jobs in America. But the question remains: How will making American goods more expensive make them more appealing at home and abroad?

Increasing the cost of energy will increase the cost of all goods and services produced in America. For every new plant making wind turbines or solar panels, there will be a steel mill that is priced out of the market, a town killed when its coal mine is shuttered, a restaurant that can't pay its utilities and thousands of families who have to stretch their dollars a little further to cover the higher costs of everything from food to transportation.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates a per-family cost of $175, but notes specifically that this number does not take the inevitable adverse economic impact into account. According to the Heritage Foundation, the real cost of this legislation will be $1,870 a year per family. Hardly inconsiderable.

If the Obama government wishes to proceed down this road, let them do it honestly. Do not conceal the costs, but in the manner of Roosevelt and Kennedy, call on America to make the sacrifices needed to help our environment and end a foreign policy afloat on a river of oil. Call on America to pursue legitimate goals and we will respond.

SEAN O'BRIEN
Greensburg

Onorato's inaction

When the first agreement consolidating city and county procurement functions was moved in 2004, County Council jumped to ensure that it would not undermine the city's ordinance prohibiting the procurement of apparel made in sweatshops. County Manager Jim Flynn assured council that the administration could implement an effective policy. The Onorato administration has failed to do so.

Proud universities like Carlow, Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon use the same standards as those codified by the county to define sweatshop working conditions and monitor their collegiate licensees. The Pittsburgh Anti Sweatshop Community Alliance has presented worker testimony to the county administration from workers sewing clothes in sweatshops for companies from which the county procures. Some of those companies are Gildan, Hanes and Rocky Brands, and, of course, these companies vigorously reject the validity of their workers' testimony.

The administration of Gov. Ed Rendell has pursued an aggressive enforcement program for his executive order with the same anti-sweatshop procurement mandate. The state Department of General Services is coordinating the purchasing power of local governments around the country and launching a contract with an independent monitor that can utilize the pooled investigatory resources of these governments.

We ask County Executive Dan Onorato to please try to meet the intent of the County Council by working with the state to enforce our ordinance. It accurately reflects our standards for worker rights and the community's desire to leverage its market participation to protect workers. Demonstrate a commitment to human rights and that you would continue with the leadership and persistence shown by the Rendell administration if you were to become governor.

KENNETH MILLER
Co-founder
Pittsburgh Anti Sweatshop Community Alliance
Garfield

Of what purpose?

As a subscriber to the Post-Gazette, I was quite disappointed to read the puff piece on the June 29 front page of Section B concerning the prison sentence for a 16-year-old who broke into a home, threatened two women and discharged a gun in the home ("Hard Time at a Young Age").

It is always sad to see a young person make a wrong turn at a fork in the road. However, I don't think your piece did anything to enlighten the public. I think you would have provided a greater public service if you explored and reported on the origin of the gun. Was it stolen, did it belong to his family or was there any record of this gun's having been involved in previous crimes? Also, it might have been relevant to let us know a little bit about the two women who were terrorized and what effect this has had on them.

In short, your tear-jerker piece really didn't contribute anything to the understanding of or possible solution to these types of situations.

ARTHUR WILSON
Amity, Washington County

Can't wait to respond to our letter writers? Go to community.post-gazette.com/blogs.

We welcome your letters. Please include your name, address and phone number, and send to Letters to the Editor, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh 15222. E-mail letters to letters@post-gazette.com or fax to 412-263-2014. Letters should be 250 words or less, original and exclusive to the Post-Gazette. All letters are subject to editing for length, clarity and accuracy and will be verified before being published.