The editorial page in Tuesday’s paper reminded me of a bumper sticker I saw the other day: “On the other hand, the war on the environment is going well!”

We start with the political cartoon blaming the apparent king of the world, our very own president, saying his climate efforts are affecting the global price of oil. In addition to being ludicrous to think he has any control over that, it is also silly since he just opened the tap to our federal oil reserves to try to keep the populace happy. Hypocritical, but true. Sadly, this cartoon only adds to the inflammatory rhetoric.

Next, we read an op-ed ("Do we need $3 billion for trees in cities?" whining about the money earmarked for planting trees in cities to improve the quality of life of everyone who lives there. So, what is the matter with sprucing up the place a little? Are pleasant shady streets reserved for the rich and comfortable? We all need trees. The whole planet needs more trees. This is a great approach that addresses a number of ills with a pleasantness. Cities, even Republican ones, reap great benefits in reduced crime, energy usage, improved air quality and runoff control.

As the bumper sticker said...

Mariette Brown

Old Saybrook