Miami-Dade should look at Denmark for example of waste-to-energy facility | Opinion

Doral incinerator

There have been many articles about rebuilding the incinerator in Doral. Here is a suggestion: search online for “Copenhill.” This is a combined heat and power plant and recreational facility near Copenhagen, Denmark. It contains a dry ski run, climbing walls and hiking trails with a view of beautiful downtown Copenhagen. It was named World Building of the Year in 2021.

While we don’t need heat in South Florida, the energy could power something else we need: burning the city’s garbage without emitting a stench.

Pamela Egloff,

Coconut Grove

A safer holiday

A festive holiday cocktail can help make the season merry and bright but only if consumed responsibly. Beer, wine and spirits come in a range in alcohol contents and container sizes so it’s important to know the alcohol by volume (ABV).

Whether one is enjoying an Irish coffee after caroling through the neighborhood, or enjoying a glass of poinsettia punch at the office party, it’s important to remember the ABCs of ABVs: A — Alcohol is alcohol; B — Be mindful of alcohol content; C— Consume in moderation.

For more than 30 years, U.S. Dietary Guidelines have defined moderate drinking as up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men, based on decades of scientific research. An easy tool to determine how many drinks are in a container is the drink calculator at www.standarddrinks.org.

Here’s to the holidays. Stay safe, drink responsibility and let’s make it one to remember!

Kathleen Zelman,

advisor,

Distilled Spirits Council of the United States,

Marietta, GA

Highway patrol

The tragic and preventable deaths of three Palm Beach police deputies should hasten the end of stationing motormen along highways to monitor speeders. Flashing digital readouts accomplish the same task without turning officers into sitting ducks.

Those same patrol officers are better utilized assisting disabled motorists or directing traffic at intersections where lights are out. Let’s hope all police departments learn from this nightmare.

Peter Schmitt,

Miami

Workable deal

The Nov. 27 story, “Trump’s tariffs would deal a big blow to the auto industry,” is another sky-is-falling hit piece by the New York Times that demonstrates no understanding of the “negotiation” in process. The article fails to indicate that Mexico and Canada have far more at risk by not doing what has been reasonably requested of them as to the entry of illicit drugs and unauthorized immigrants into the United States.

The response by both countries indicates that they will take steps to stem the flow. The Biden/Harris administration could’ve done this as early as Jan. 20, 2021, but did not. They chose to eliminate much of what was controlling the border and allow a flood of drugs and unauthorized and unchecked immigrants into our country.

Robert E. Panoff,

Pinecrest

Trim carefully

Certain departments and employees of the federal government are in danger of being eliminated. While there is probably waste in the form of excess employees, the fat should be trimmed with a scalpel wielded by an expert in the particular field, not just a political supporter or appointee with no expertise. These departments deal with serious issues like our health, transportation, environment, national security and more.

Otherwise, the public and the environment we inhabit will be despoiled and/or endangered in the same way an unqualified professional would be a menace.

L. Gabriel Bach,

Key Biscayne

Dems future

I could not disagree more with Philip Levine’s Nov. 24 op-ed, “How the Democratic Party can win Florida voters back.” Democrats have always had and continue to have people-friendly policies (leftist?) for raising the minimum wage; forming unions; bringing jobs back to this country from abroad; spending money on infrastructure; supporting Social Security, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act; helping students pay off predatory loans; legalizing DACA children and protecting people’s health.

Today, we have the lowest unemployment rate in decades and a super high stock market.

People with gender, religious, race, or sexual orientation issues (woke?) come to Democrats only because of the party’s openness to helping others.

As to imitating former President Ronald Reagan, let’s remember that Reagan’s solution to the illegal immigration problem was to legalize at least 3 million of them! I wonder how long it will take Donald Trump and Republicans do what Reagan did.

Furthermore, a closer look at the 2024 national popular vote totals show there was no “mandate.” Trump barely squeaked in.

Corey Mass,

Miami Beach

Burn notice

First was the incinerator in Doral. Then came the developers and investors who bought and developed near it, despite that quite obviously, an incinerator was nearby. Now, the neighbors protest a new, cleaner, state-of-the-art facility on the same site.

Begs the question of why the original incinerator burned.

Michael S. Mills,

West Kendall

Lift limitations

“Brain waste” is the under-utilization of qualified professionals in jobs that do not correspond to their training. This phenomenon not only affects thousands of Hispanic and Puerto Rican immigrants in Miami and a significant economic loss, but also limits the social development of the region.

Florida is home to one of the largest Puerto Rican communities in the United States and Miami is a key destination for qualified professionals who face barriers such as lack of credential recognition, discrimination and language obstacles. According to the Migration Policy Institute, 32% of immigrant college graduates in Florida are underemployed, contributing to an estimated loss of $39.4 billion annually in lost income. The impact is not limited to the economic sphere.

Highly skilled professionals in precarious jobs experience chronic stress, anxiety and depression, which affects their mental health and hinders their integration into the community. Miami has an opportunity to create solutions by implementing programs to validate foreign credentials and fostering public-private partnerships that leverage this talent. Recognizing and empowering these professionals is not just a matter of social justice; it is a key strategy to strengthen the economy and social fabric of our city.

Hector Navedo,

Caguas, Puerto Rico

Horror show

Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz might appear to be finished, but his selection as U.S. Attorney General shows just how morally lost is the United States of America. Read all of what has been told about Gaetz’s drug influenced sex parties with female minors.

We have been hearing about this for years, so how could the “man” — President-elect Donald Trump, who nominated Gaetz — pretend to be unaware?

Listen to the sexually criminal behavior of Trump’s male and female nominees. Gaetz was forced to withdraw his name from the nomination after eight days, due to several allegations and investigations of his behavior. The Jeffrey Epstein nightmare is about to be repeated with no shame and no attempt to disguise it.

Jeff Haller,

Cutler Bay

Much alike

The Cabinet picks of President-elect Donald Trump remind me of that old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.”

Mary Lamont,

Hollywood