One of the legitimate and needed functions of government is the protection of our environment. As individuals we have little leverage in stopping pollution that comes from beyond our own lots. We can recycle , drive energy efficient cars, turn our thermostats down, and buy more energy efficient appliances. Yet all that does not fix the problem of pollution that comes from beyond state borders.
I will join with the Raleigh News and Observer in congratulating NC's Attorney General Roy Cooper in his efforts to get the Tennessee Valley Authority to behave more responsibly.
While the biggest impact of TVA pollution is in the North Carolina mountains, we should not get complacent here on the Crystal Coast, because I am sure some of the pollution makes ti to us. I have spent many years in Roanoke, Virginia. There from on the side of our mountain, I have watched as the increasing traffic on Interstate 81 has often brought an ugly haze with it. As the Roanoke Times reported in "Heading home ... slowly" traffic counts of 80,000 vehicles per day will be seen during the holidays.
One of the reasons I was attracted to the Crystal Coast was the brilliant blue skies that are so clear that you have to wonder if your eyes are tricking you and someone has used Photoshop to clean it up.
I hope we can keep those blue skies and blue waters. They add an immeasurable amount of comfort to those of us who once had our heads stuck in smog banks like Washington, DC or Northern Virginia.
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