Letters

Fifty-two billion dollars for a sea wall for Manhattan. “Multibillions” for the rest out to Montauk. And how many billions to keep pumping sand back onto the beach? Sum it up — it’s trillions of dollars.

The entire nation should pay for this? The article [“Stony Brook Professor Says Billion-Dollar Iron ‘Sea Gates’ at Inlets Could Protect Long Islanders in Next Hurricane,” 27east.com, November 22] says Long Island can’t pay for it. I suspect not even the super-wealthy can foot this bill. We will just stick the rest of the country with the bill? They might object, as they struggle to deal with drought, flood and fire.

By the way, was there any discussion of the environmental havoc these barriers and baffles would create? One recognizes that we humans are all that count, but we might remember that, absent the oceans’ proper functioning, we will not survive.

We will impoverish the entire nation rather than choose to accept that cities throughout the ages have disappeared.

How much less expensive is it to move shops and people inland, out of harm’s way?

Amy Paradise

Hampton Bays