Recycling coal emissions would create new jobs Re: "Obama's carbon deals kill jobs, benefit Big Business," editorial, Dec. 30 A systems approach is needed. Producing carbon-fiber products from the carbon emissions of coal and oil-fired power plants is a very productive way to create jobs instead of killing them.

Unlike mining ore to make steel, coal has already been mined to produce electricity, so the additional mining step is avoided. Carbon-fiber weighs less than steel and doesn't rust, so it can be used to make more durable products that last longer and reduce fuel consumption because it takes less energy to move lighter material.

Carbon-fiber can replace many metal products, such as auto bodies, containers and structural materials, to benefit consumers and the environment. The fiberglass Corvette body is a historic example. Carbon-fiber can be recycled, reformed and used again many times.

In short, this winning approach will create jobs, new businesses, and improve the environment at the same time.

G. Stanley Doore

Silver Spring

Legislation leaves end-of-life decisions to patient and doctor

Re: "Death panels are just the first step," Dec. 30 While some people may believe Cal Thomas' slippery-slope argument about end-of-life counseling leading to government-run death panels, hopefully the majority of

Examiner readers will consider the following points: First, end-of-life decisions are some of the most difficult decisions a person can make, and are not limited to whether or not they want the most aggressive treatments to keep them alive. The most common decisions involve not what will be done, but where -- hospital, hospice, or at home -- and are hardly the death panels Thomas speaks of.

Second, there are no stipulations in the original legislation or the current Medicare/Medicaid rule that any government agent be present for end-of-life counseling, or that any particular options be discussed. It simply says that Medicare/Medicaid will pay your personal doctor to counsel you on the many decisions that must be made.

If Cal Thomas or any of his readers are worried that their doctors would advise them or force them to end their lives, perhaps they should find a new doctor.

Paaqua Grant

Arlington

Goodbye to decade of domain, decline and decay

After the first decade of the 21st century, America suffers from the triple "D's" -- the decline of freedom, eminent domain, and social-economic decay. All things considered, it appears that we are in for a not-so-happy new year.

The 20 percent of our population responsible for the triple "D's" are the statist-driven, liberal/progressive/socialists who control and dominate politics, government, education and the media.

But they are being put on notice that this is not a 20 percent democracy. It is a constitutional republic in the process of restoration.

As Americans have done time and time again, the spontaneous Tea Party movement is awakening to revive American's unique history of freedom and self-reliance.

Daniel B. Jeffs

Apple Valley, Calif.