My wife and I drove across Pennsylvania yesterday to attend our granddaughter’s wedding here in Butler. We have also just returned from a nice trip to Ireland. What strikes me as curious, and perhaps indicative of our country’s insistence on promoting fossil fuels, was the complete lack of wind turbines visible in Pennsylvania along the Interstate 80 corridor, none that I could see.

In Ireland, a country only slightly smaller than Pennsylvania, gets over 35% of its entire electrical needs from renewable energy. Wind turbines are visible everywhere. Perhaps folks in Pennsylvania think, “not in my backyard.“ But to me, seeing visible wind turbines speaks volumes about a country’s commitment to reducing green house gas emissions and improving infrastructure.

Pennsylvania (and New Jersey) can, and must, do better. Think about this when you cast your vote in November.

James V. Gruber, Washington, N.J.