I truly do appreciate Mr. Smith’s concern about protecting the natural beauty of our county. Living in the country I appreciate the natural beauty of my Possum Run area especially and under normal circumstances would agree with him wholeheartedly.
However, these are not normal times. Global warming is real and it’s a threat to our health and well-being. That point cannot be denied with any scientific credibility.
I would remind Mr. Smith of the many compromises we have already made in the name of progress and the public good.
Consider how our state, county, and township roads have already cut through our natural beauty. We gained something and we lost something in the building of our highway and road systems.
We also gain something and lose something when we allow undeveloped land to be converted to sites for factories, businesses and even housing developments.
These are all necessary sacrifices for the common good and economic progress. Now we are being asked to allow the development, if any property owner chooses, of wind and solar sites. Yes, Mr. Smith, they could destroy some of the beauty of our natural areas. And, yes, that would be regrettable.
But generations from now our children and grandchildren will thank us for sacrificing some of our natural beauty for green-energy projects, thus protecting their own health and well-being from the growing threat of global warming due to the burning of fossil fuels.
If you still don’t believe climate change is real and a danger, I invite you to attend our global warming program on April 25 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Mansfield Richland County Library.
I will vote no on the ban on property rights because I believe it is the best choice for us, our children and grandchildren.
Paul Robinson
Mansfield, Ohio