Gang-green 

Editor:

My excitement at seeing the cover ("How Green Is Humboldt," April 17) diminished when I read the article. I had hoped for so much more about the "eco-grooviness" of the businesses and citizenry, as well as county government.

There was nothing about the prevalence of plastic packaging in our most eco-groovy food stores and restaurants that our eco-groovy citizenry seems to accept without protest. Has anyone watched the boxes of bottled water pouring out the door of Costco in awesome amounts? I wonder how many plastic bottles get tossed every day and how many children are drinking that water that is poisoned with plastic?

The article seemed to have carefully avoided the Board of Supervisors in spite of the recent new low on the part of the Gang of Four's disturbing announcement of their support of hound hunting of wildlife. Isn't concern for wildlife eco-groovy? And then there is the gang and their role in shredding the GPU.

It's disturbing to me that economic development here does not seem to include any efforts at bringing green business here and finding funding to support green businesses that is available. Instead they support many of the more destructive, resource extraction companies. Nor does there seem to be any real effort to bring renewable energy into use.

I was pleased to see the section on water that pointed out the effects of sedimentation in the rivers from ongoing logging on hillsides and the listing of the many water-quality-impaired watersheds we have. Don't let your kids swim in Little River. The state of our watersheds from logging and other things is appalling. Our leadership seems oblivious to the fact that we need drinking water and the fish need clean, cool water and there is little of that anymore. Not so eco-groovy, is it?

Sylvia De Rooy, Eureka