Letters

I applaud your editorial of September 5, “Keeping Whales Safe,” for showing that there is no evidence to support the idea that wind farms harm whales. In fact, the evidence is that ship strikes have been responsible for most of the deaths of humpback whales, for example.

As you note, the real threat to whales and the ecosystem they depend upon is climate change. We urgently need to mitigate global warming by replacing the fossil fuels that are driving it.

Governor Kathy Hochul has been disappointing in her climate leadership lately, letting important climate legislation languish, like the NY HEAT Act and the Climate Change Superfund Act. She must continue to vigorously champion offshore wind, battery storage and other renewables. Her decisions will shape our clean energy future.

We citizens have responsibilities, too. We need to support that future rather than opposing it out of misguided fears. Our local communities need to embrace offshore wind, as well as solar, geothermal, battery storage, grid enhancements — the ecosystem of clean energy generation, storage and transmission.

Your editorial should reassure East Enders that offshore wind is a critically important way to keep whales safe from climate change, the greatest threat to their future, and ours.

Kai Abbott

Sag Harbor