Letters to the editor

Heavy metal:Here's some more interesting information that most SUV drivers probably don't know about their vehicles and unfortunately probably won't care about once they do: The desecration of the Brazilian rainforest, plus the oppression of Brazilian "charcoal people," is directly related to SUVs. The process begins with the harvesting of original growth trees in the Brazilian forest. Two tractors with a chain stretched between them literally tear the trees from the ground; these trees then undergo a controlled-burn process in a kiln by the charcoal people.

The charcoal people, who are illiterate and receive no pension or other benefits from the Brazilian government, produce charcoal that is combined with iron ore to produce pig iron. This Brazilian pig iron is used to produce those super-strong frames Roberts alluded to in his article. There are an estimated 60,000 charcoal people. They usually begin working at their trade at the age of seven or eight, helping their parents, and remain in this trade until their death. Their pay is terrible, as are the conditions under which they work. Here is an example of a very fine line between slavery and freedom in this, the 21st century.

So, let us recap: 1) SUVs are dangerous to drivers of other, smaller vehicles; 2) SUVs are a danger to our environment because of their excessive use of fossil fuels and their current exemption from emission standards; 3) SUVs are produced in part by people working under near-slavery conditions; 4) SUV production greatly contributes to the destruction of the Brazilian rainforest.

Who, with the exception of a very few drivers, can honestly justify the need to drive such a vehicle?
Carolyne Janssen
via the Internet