Many thanks to the Recorder and Chris Lisinski of State House News Service for coverage of the Environmental League of Massachusetts’ call to action on what essential progress needs to be made right away to meet our legislated climate change goals (“Clean energy lobby: It’s ‘get serious’ time,” Dec. 22). While the article focused on what our elected state officials need to do, the message from Amy Boyd Rabin of the Environmental League carried some important messages for what we, as citizens and consumers, can do to meet those important goals. As consumers, we need to stop spending on fossil fuels. Affordable ways to do this are now in our reach with electric vehicles (dealers have plenty of stock), heat pumps, and solar panels. Those who can afford the up-front costs (lessened by tax credits and rebates) can save in the long run while cutting carbon emissions right now at this crucial time. And it is an environmental justice issue to assist those who cannot afford the up-front costs with ways to benefit from the long-range savings of these environmentally friendly technologies.

Bill Beckett

Watertown