Columnist Dan Rodricks' definition of a "green governor" is way off the mark. There is nothing green about a poultry waste incinerator, which Mr. Rodricks is urging Gov.-elect Larry Hogan to fast-track on the Eastern Shore ("Larry Hogan has a chance to be a green governor," Dec. 13).
Maryland's inclusion of incineration in our state Renewable Portfolio Standard gives these plants financial incentives on a par with solar and wind. That's a mistake on both health and environmental grounds.
Incineration is one of the most expensive forms of energy generation, creating relatively little electricity for the amount of waste involved and few jobs.
Trash and poultry waste incineration also generate toxic emissions — dioxins being among the worst of them. Incineration is one of the most unhealthy and least green forms of electricity generation.
Rebecca Ruggles, Baltimore
The writer is director of the Maryland Environmental Health Network.