Letters

I recently attended the amazing Drawdown Festival on Saturday, January 11, at SAC, and was gladdened to see hundreds of attendees — a surprising sight in January. It was a huge grassroots group of so many locals with interesting suggestions to save our planet in easily achieved actions.

Thank you, Darr Reilly, for all that you do in this regard. It was a gathering place of all the like-minded people who are in action saving our planet, and the energy was palpable. I want to see more, and I hope our elected officials are aware of the support they would receive putting all of their ideas into action. I know there are efforts to do so and want them to know their efforts are being supported. If not now, when?

It was crowded and happy and positive, and I loved it. The movies, especially “2040,” left me smiling and ready to do battle. It was shown a second time, and the theater was again pretty packed. Kudos to Amy Kirwin, who has been facilitating this sort of thing — thank you, Amy.

There were two after-events I attended: 100women4women, at the Bridgehampton Community Center, where I met a group furthering the cause and determining where we could all be to best effect (among so many others, I met Donna Lanzetta, who bought the Lobster Inn and is establishing Manna Fish Farm, and will be doing aquaculture there and organically growing the vegetables that will be a farm-to-table situation that many restaurants out here are utilizing); then, at Bridgehampton National Bank, another group showed the movie “Conscience Point,” about the Shinnecock and their plight to save their sovereign ground — 5,000-year-old burial sites desecrated, and I was saddened to know what they have been going through. It’s been an active two weeks.

This is a good time, and instead of feeling depressed about all we see everywhere, with the ill effects of global warning, please let’s all look to our homes and take the baby steps to reuse-recycle-restore our planet, eliminate food waste, eat healthily, and take the big steps where we are able in our businesses, church and civic groups. Bring your own cups, stop using Styrofoam, plastic straws, carry your own shopping bags — 12-minute use, 1,000 years to break down in overcrowded landfills. Leave leaf litter where you can, instead of carting it away to later bring it back as mulch. Cut the grass higher to give the roots room to grow. Plant fruit trees, not just ornamental evergreens. Plant perennials to give the bees and birds something to eat.

Get the book “Drawdown” to see 100 doable suggestions and pick the ones that pertain.

Alexis Dickinson Mayer

Southampton Village