Letters to the editor

The “A View from Washington” column in the September 2006 edition of PLANT ENGINEERING by John Engler was titled “Sleepwalking schools are failing U.S. industry.”

While I agree with Mr. Engler's view on the condition of schools in the USA and the need for our schools to meet the challenge of our new global competitors, I believe the title and conclusion of the article are misguided.

The current price of industrial and commercial growth in this country is tax abatement and exemption. It is difficult to adequately fund schools to provide technically adept graduates with whatever money is left as industry flees to cheaper sites. In order to, “synchronize our educational system,” it may be necessary for industry leaders to give money to local schools and to provide incentives for their people to join with educators at the schools to teach and encourage students. Some companies already do that, but more articles are needed celebrating their successes, and praising their achievements. National award presentations to officers of contributing companies would also help. Otherwise, sleepwalking industry will fail our schools.

Dave Wrzesinski, Deere and Company, Moline, IL

In your August issue of PLANT ENGINEERING, a reader wrote a letter expressing confusion over CO₂ and its good environmental properties, and its implication in global warming. The concern over CO₂ is that increases in its atmospheric concentration will cause global warming. (New CO₂ from burning fossil fuels). To use CO₂ as a refrigerant, I presume that gas supply companies would extract existing CO₂ from the atmosphere, and bottle it for use. Thus, any CO₂ gas that would leak from a refrigerator would not add any new CO₂, but only put back what had been extracted earlier.

Actually, CO₂ refrigerant systems seem to be the way to go if you are convinced that higher CO₂ levels are causing global warming. As more CO₂ refrigeration systems are installed, more CO₂ would be extracted from the atmosphere and sequestered away.

Steven Weber, Essilor of America, Inc St. Petersburg, FL