Re: “Carbon neutral not the same as net neutral emissions,” Statesman, 13 Feb 2021. As the byline of the author, Scott Tinker, doesn’t say, he is the director of UT’s Bureau of Economic Geology. What would you guess “economic geology” means in the state of Texas?

It is of course undeniable that, as Prof. Tinker says, “The reality we face is that humans impact the earth.” When he lists the impacts of various energy sources, however, he glosses over the huge differences in their impacts’ severity. As he doesn’t say, fossil fuels are the dirtiest and most dangerous, while nuclear and modern renewable energy sources are vastly safer and cleaner.

If the costs of burning fossil fuels were accurately reflected in their prices, by imposing a tax on their carbon content, then nuclear and modern renewable energy sources would be not only vastly safer and cleaner, but also cheaper.

Hamilton Richards

Submitted to the Austin American-Statesman

February 23, 2021