Saturday letters: Allow wind power to move forward; our number-one bus hub

Let offshore wind reach its full potential

Rhode Island is at the forefront of combatting the climate crisis, as evidenced by Alex Kuffner’s article “'We are not on track': To meet climate goals, RI buildings need cleaner heat. These bills would help” (News, May 3).

“The Ocean State” is a national leader in addressing greenhouse gas emissions, both on land and in the ocean, by advancing responsible offshore wind in state waters. But climate change goes beyond borders, and Rhode Island’s members of Congress must support an effort to expand renewable energy federally by eliminating offshore wind’s ties to oil and gas drilling.

Right now, before any future offshore wind leases can be issued, the federal government is required to offer at least 60 million acres of ocean for offshore drilling lease sales in the prior 365 days. That means before the Biden administration can issue new offshore wind expansion, it is mandated by law to offer lease sales for oil. As we face a growing climate crisis, this is like making a firefighter start a new blaze before they can put out a house fire.

Thankfully, a bill currently in Congress would end this unfair mandate and cut the tie between offshore wind and oil. The Nonrestrictive Offshore Wind (NOW) Act would allow wind to move forward without being paired with destructive offshore drilling. Members of Congress in Rhode Island should support this bill and free offshore wind to reach its full potential.

We shouldn’t have to drown in oil to reach a better future.

Joseph Gordon, Washington, D.C.

The writer is a campaign director for Oceana, the world’s largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation.

Kennedy Plaza a valuable bus hub

Kennedy Plaza should stay as the number-one bus hub. For many years, I got around the whole state, going bus to bus at Kennedy Plaza, even though I have a disability that makes it difficult for me to walk.

Kennedy Plaza was safe for wheelchairs, walkers, and canes. The plates on the edge of the sidewalk really helped people who needed to get from one bus to another. And there are special ways for people with mobility challenges to cross the street. We should think, too, about the people who need to get to the train station.

Please fight to keep Kennedy Plaza as the number-one bus terminal in the state.

Ed Soares, North Kingstown

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Saturday letters: Allow wind power to move forward; our number-one bus hub