Letters

I write these Letters to the Editor to put ideas on the table that may influence how we can combat carbon. What is happening in this world is detrimental to its future. Collectively, we can make a difference. There is hope.

Here are 10 examples:

1. Stop using harmful weed-killing chemicals to achieve a perfect lawn. Understand that these have harmful effects on our water supply that will catch up to us.

2. Get an electric car. Getting a Tesla was the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve had many luxury cars over the years, and this is the best on so many counts.

3. Invest in solar and battery storage; it will save money and make you independent from PSEG and blackouts. If you’re on the fence about it, go for it.

4. Drive less. When possible, share a ride with a fellow worker or a neighbor. If you’re driving, remember, excessive speeds consume more fuel.

5. Clean up our public spaces. Take a bag to the beach or park and pick up litter. Seeing the impact is rewarding, and it’s great exercise.

6. Consider induction cooking in your kitchen. It is more efficient and much faster.

7. Be conscious of your carbon footprint. Educate yourself on how we’re impacting the Earth and what you can do to help minimize it.

8. Consume meat alternatives when you can. There are more options in this category, like the Impossible Burger. Meat and dairy account for 14.5 percent of global greenhouse emissions, which come from cows (source: UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization).

9. If you’re constructing a new home, use as much recycled material as possible. The quality is just as good!

10. Heat your pool with a bladder system. It uses less energy than a traditional pool heater and produces the same result.

Now, something that most people don’t know: Sixty acres of the forest take 84 tons of carbon out of the air yearly. A solar farm of the same size takes 38,000 tons of carbon out of the air annually.

Think of the thousands of acres of forests destroyed by fire each year. Make our government take this fact and act on it. This report comes from an environmental study on a positive declaration for a privately owned solar farm built in Brookhaven Town.

Let’s put the above information into action.

Gerald Rosengarten

Southampton Village