Going Green Is About Sacrifices

It may not be chic to talk of personal sacrifice, but isn’t this necessitated by the ecological crises we are facing (“How to Get Wall Street to Hug a Tree,” by David Wolman, Feb. 11)? Individually, we do need to consume less and stop using technologies that create havoc with our air, soil and water. Changing a few light bulbs in our homes is ultimately not nearly enough.

William L. Seavey

Director

PowerFromSun.com

Cambria

The definition of natural resources has to be expanded to include the less tangible but equally (if not more) important value of undeveloped lands and waters. The value of natural resources has to be felt, appreciated and internalized by the average person. The value has to be meaningful to their safety and security at work and in their backyards.

People in Florida and the Gulf states know about the increasing incidence of severe weather, especially after Katrina took its deadly swipe through their lives. They likely will be the first to pay the premium for protecting natural resources if the connection can be made that it will help protect their homes. It will be a much tougher sell to impose costs for resource protection in faraway lands or for species and ecosystems they may admire on TV but never experience themselves.

Evan Henry

Newport Beach

I see human activities doing tremendous damage to the beauty and health of our planet. My problem with the “green” people is that they don’t address the fundamental cause of ecological stress: overpopulation. Until population growth is under control, all other measures are just postponing the inevitable collapse.

Mike Burns

Bakersfield