Power to the people

Mr. Bonner's electric bill is quite impressive (Acorn Aug. 8, "Residents shocked over high electric bills"). We should all join with Mr. Bonner to fight the tyranny at Southern California Edison. We should be able to consume what we want and rise to the fourth tier of Edison's rate schedule without having to pay for our excess.

Or maybe, we should simply live a real life that doesn't involve excess and waste. Then we wouldn't have to put our efforts into fighting rate increases. Instead, we could use our efforts to figure out a way to use less of our resources and leave some for our kids.

As a family of five, we use 95 percent less electricity than Mr. Bonner. Our house includes a granny house with a full set of appliances and is only 25 percent smaller. Our July bill was $77 and with the Edison AC cycling credit we actually paid $18. It's not rocket science to reduce your power load. Start by asking Edison for an evaluation.

There are 150 coal burning plants scheduled for construction throughout the United States. Why? So Americans can continue to indulge themselves. Coal burning is the primary source of electrical generation in the United States. Without taking into consideration the nasty business of mining coal, burning coal means more carbon dioxide and other airborne pollutants.

Electricity that is brought to our homes doesn't just materialize while we run our air conditioners. The generation of electricity is generally a dirty job that contributes to the degradation of our air and water. Clean energy from renewable sources is still in its infancy.

If clean air and water aren't enough to encourage people to conserve, then go ahead Edison, hit them in their pocket book. Triple the rates for excessive users. That will get their attention. Mark T. Rackow Agoura Hills