Offshore wind turbines, buying a home, crowded LIRR trains

Turbine blade break isn’t a major event

A turbine blade broke off in the waters 12 miles off Nantucket Island and left a debris field on popular beaches [“Vineyard Wind turbine break raises alarm,” News, Aug. 6]. As a result, people say we must stop building offshore wind turbines because they are now deemed dangerous.

If the turbines are so dangerous, should we also ban cars and trucks because they also can be dangerous? No people have been killed by turbine blades, but more than 40,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2023 alone. After many heavy rains, our beaches are closed because of pollution. Do we tell people to stop flushing their toilets?

Turbines have the potential of greatly eliminating the use of oil — and we have already had major oil spills — and natural gas, which are harmful to our environment.

We cannot stay in the past. We need to move ahead, which in the long run will make our world safer and healthier.

— Roger Kaufmann, East Northport

New homebuyer pact has its costs

A national policy mandating that Realtors representing homebuyers will need to be compensated separately and apart from those who represent sellers is to begin Aug. 17 [“Buying a home becoming even more complicated,” LI Business, Aug. 5].

This supposedly would result in lower commissions and possibly lower prices of homes. That, however, is unfounded, misleading and highly improbable. Commission payments likely will shift from sellers to buyers. Thus, no net fee change.

Although costs to buyers, for the most part, will remain unchanged, it might actually have a price increase effect as sellers will still want their selling price even though they are paying a lower commission.

The only thing these new contracts may accomplish is getting buyers to be loyal to their brokers since these buyers will be committing to paying them if they find a home that is purchased.

Moreover, these new contracts will also create confusion. As a commercial real estate broker, I say: Buyers, beware.

— Jeff Schwartzberg, Jericho

Crowded LIRR car adds more misery

So, we’re entering a Long Island Rail Road car at Penn Station during rush hour “Let’s bring back public civility,” Editorial, Aug. 7]. It was so crowded that passengers couldn’t see in front of themselves.

Someone had placed a scooter on the floor, and my husband fell over it, breaking his shoulder and requiring surgery.

This occurred two days before we were supposed to leave for Switzerland.

— Irma Gurman, Smithtown