THERE ARE BETTER OPTIONS

To the editor:

In our search for clean renewable energy, i've been greatly encouraged lately by two articles in our local newspapers. In The Nantucket Independent (Oct. 3) a suggestion was made for a gasification plant at the landfill that would generate electricity from waste. And a letter by Pete Sawyer in the Inquirer and Mirror (Letters Oct. 11) introduced a radical new concept by a solar company who would use the consumers themselves, to produce energy.

Considering how no one is serious about reducing our demand for energy anytime soon, our current way of thinking would have us blanket the entire planet with unsightly wind and solar farms, with unimagined consequences to the natural environment. It's the same kind of industrial mindset that brought us global warming. I think today's problems demand new ideas, and new ways of thinking.

In the past, energy production was concentrated in centralized power stations, serving customers over a vast network or grid. But today, with growing demand and shrinking space, we should consider alternative systems that would use the grid (users) itself to generate power.

CitizenRe is just such a concept, that could could put this windfarm debate to rest. No "nimby," no environmental or safety concerns, no visual impact, and no infrastructure nightmare. Installing and maintaining panels on your home at no expense to you, with only a deposit and monthly fee for the power you actually produce, CitizenRe is a low-profile, no fuss-no mess, simple alternative for the Cape and Islands.

These are the kinds of ideas we need to explore. There are other options out there. While wind energy is indeed one answer, a wind "farm" is definitely not.

Sincerely,

- Howard Faria