Letters: Optimism on green energy
Danny Volkomer, an installer with Green Logic, carries a solar panel that was being installed at Peconic Bay Winery in Cutchogue. (July 27, 2010) Credit: Daniel Goodrich
For a long time one of the burning questions for my adult life was whether I wanted to continue living on Long Island. After reading "Green energy potential" [News, Sept. 4], I have more faith in my lifelong home.
Long Island is a beautiful place to live with many diverse activities, and it contains several rich and vibrant communities. However, the cost of living here can be more than most people can handle.
The article about the upcoming energy contracts being presented to the Long Island Power Authority brings back some pride in my home. Implementing solar, wind and hydropower throughout Long Island would improve our environment and cut energy costs.
I hope LIPA will make the right choices when it comes to our future energy needs.
Dylan Ferrara, Farmingdale
The report "A Clean Energy Vision for Long Island" tells us that we can power all of Long Island's homes with renewable energy by the year 2020. But we will only achieve this if we hold LIPA accountable as it makes key energy decisions this month.
We need to make sure that LIPA is investing in our future, not in bigger profits for the fossil fuel industry. This means investing in innovation like offshore wind turbines and solar panels, rather than throwing money at antiquated gas plants.
If we make the right investments now, Long Island can boost its economy and bring in green jobs, while simultaneously improving the health of our neighborhoods.
Emma Boorboor, Farmingdale
Editor's note: The writer is an organizer for the Sierra Club, an environmental advocacy group.
On a recent trip to Sweden, I was stunned by the beauty of the offshore wind turbine farms. I was also saddened by the fact that Sweden, like many other countries, is so far ahead of us in the development and implementation of cleaner sources of energy.
Long Island now has a golden opportunity to turn that situation around. Our energy supplier, LIPA, has a choice: locking us into antiquated and dirty sources of energy, or moving us forward into cleaner (and ultimately cheaper) sources, such as wind and solar.
Lois Richman, Hewlett
