Letter: Cargill and DMB development

The quality of life in Redwood City, and its surrounding areas, is being challenged like never before ("Saltworks project passes initial review” in the Feb. 2 edition of the Daily Journal).

The Cargill and DMB project, if permitted to proceed as planned, will further destroy and degrade the Bay’s natural and historic environment and our quality of life.  

At stake is our water quality. If the Bay is further filled, the wetlands will no longer cleanse chemical and other pollutants and capture sediments at the same level. Our water supply will be further stressed. There simply is not enough water to meet the demands of this proposed development.  

Our air quality is at stake. Air pollution from an influx of automobiles will adversely affect the flora and fauna of the surrounding areas as well as humans. Just recently, the New York Times reported a new study on urban green space from Geophysical Research letters. The study argues, "Native gases and wetlands remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as organic carbon in soil making them important carbon sinks.” However, when there is such urban sprawl as proposed by Cargill and DMB, these gases cannot be absorbed, adding to air pollution and global warming.  

Now, more than ever before, we need to raise our collective voices to show our strength and commitment to preserve the environment and our quality of life.  

Restoring the salt ponds to wetlands will give us greater recreational enjoyment, cleaner air, cleaner water and a measurably better quality of life for this and future generations to come. We need to be heard to preserve this treasure.

Elkie Muller

Woodside