To the Editor,
As a parent I have often spoken to my children about the difference between “want” and “need.” I am reminded of those conversations when I hear about our energy “needs.” If we recognize that fulfilling these “needs” puts the future of life on earth as we know it in danger, it might be easier to see these as “wants.” [private]In times of war, people have usually been willing to make great sacrifices to protect against a perceived evil. I think we need to have that same sense of sacrifice to fight against global warming – which has more dire consequences than any World War 3. If we put our collective creative energies together we could create cars that run on renewable energy, build new energy efficient houses, make existing homes more energy efficient, find ways for factories to pollute less, grow and eat more local food, use solar, wind, thermal and water power wherever possible, and many more fossil fuel reducing methods that don’t come readily to mind (and many I’ve never thought of). I believe that creating a healthy future is possible, but we currently lack the will and sense of urgency to do so. We must work to create that will.
As co-founder of Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline (www.stopnypipeline.org), I am working to stop the Northeast Energy Direct (NED) gas pipeline which is proposed to go through the towns of Schodack, Nassau and Stephentown in Rensselaer County. Such a pipeline will encourage our continued reliance on fossil fuels. We need to fight such infrastructure. But more importantly we need a movement that is big enough to tackle making sure that our planet continues to allow human life to flourish.
Becky Meier
Canaan, NY[/private]