Letters: Need for fix after internet wiring; oppose Duke Energy rate increase

Needs fixing after high speed internet wiring

Yippee! We have high speed internet wiring — and two massive mud piles where holes were dug and lots of trash in the front yard. How can we get this fixed?

Marilyn Irwin, Bloomington

Youth wants to fight for their future

In elementary school, Duke Energy representatives visited my class. They performed skits with the themes of conserving energy and water. Had I known then about Duke's real impacts, I may have stood up and walked right out from the rows of students.

Now in high school, I am finding a voice to oppose the climate-damaging actions of Indiana's energy suppliers. I recently started a youth-led campaign called Hoosier Power to advocate for fossil fuel phaseout. We already organized an Earth Day rally focused on climate solutions.

As a 15-year-old, I will certainly live with the effects of a changing climate. The knowledge that my generation is in danger of unlivable heat, rising oceans creeping toward homes, and new emerging diseases fuels my fight for the future. Global estimates suggest that to keep climate change from becoming irreversible, the U.S. must stop all coal by 2030.

Currently, Duke Energy plans to continue burning coal well beyond that deadline. This is simply absurd. And what's more — they are requesting to increase utility rates, just to cause more air pollution and devastating carbon emissions. Join me on June 20 at 6 p.m. in the Monroe Convention Center, Olcott Young Room, 302 S. College Ave., to fight Duke’s rate increase, fight for our future.

Lydia Arnold, Bloomington

Oppose Duke Energy rate increase on June 20

Knowing that climate change is happening, our family of six has started our path toward electrification. We generate more electricity from solar than we use, we drive a plug-in hybrid and an electric vehicle. Yet, we have not yet reached full electrification.

Our hot water and more than half of our heat are supplied with natural gas.

What lessons have been learned along the way? First, investing in this technology is expensive for individuals — costing upwards of $200,000. Most of our neighbors could not afford this investment. Second, our electrification requires being connected to the grid. Third, it is clearly more efficient for utilities rather than individuals to lead the transition to renewable energy.

The good news is that we can all contribute to transitioning our power to renewable energy, which depends far more on our advocacy than our wallets. While every major utility in Indiana has been scaling up renewable energy and plans to exit coal by 2030, Duke generates a paltry ~5% of power with wind and solar.

Please join me at 6 p.m. on June 20 at the Monroe Convention Center in opposing Duke’s rate increase, which dumps hundreds of millions into coal. Visit sc.org/dukeistheworst to learn more.

Randy Arnold, Bloomington