In reply to a letter, “Is Long Island Ready for Wind Power?” (Massapequa Observer, Aug. 24-30) my answer as a Long Islander is a resounding, yes.
First and foremost, man-made climate change is real, it’s here, and we need bold action now while we can still slow it down.
Unchecked climate change means that very bad things will happen to Long Island. The greenhouse gases released from burning fossil fuels are not going away, and the science is in: they are causing the Earth to warm. Warming oceans are expanding in volume, and Long Island stands to lose much of its coastal real estate. Warmer air means more moisture held in the atmosphere, and that moisture comes to earth via the extreme weather events that scientists predicted. And then in the zero-sum climate game, the flip side is devastating droughts.
So we need all the renewable energy we can get, and fast. Thankfully, New York State government, with the help of the Feds, is paving the way. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration has recently implemented policies, which LIPA can help put into effect, to reach the goal to generate 50 percent of our electric power from renewable sources by 2030.
But we can’t achieve that and other climate goals without offshore wind. The “Saudi Arabia of wind” is what we’ve got off Long Island, and developing it stands to bring tremendous benefits in terms of jobs, stable energy prices and a new industrial supply chain.
Offshore wind is a necessary component of the renewable energy portfolio. The Europeans have been doing it successfully for 20 years. It’s time Long Island got on board.
—Elizabeth Sabbatini
