To The Editor:

Thank you for the detailed article [Town Topics, Jan. 24] on the recent talk by Molly Jones of Sustainable Princeton on Climate Change. Her observation that there is no silver bullet to solve this problem, but rather silver buckshot — smaller actions individuals can take — should be taken to heart.

One of these small actions that could make a great difference is the rapid substitution of electric vehicles (EVs) for gasoline powered cars. The average New Jersey household burns about 30 barrels (1260 gallons) of gasoline per year, mostly for commuting and local travel. Local gasoline consumption is by far our largest single use of fossil fuel and our largest source of local pollution, and these can be sharply reduced without any change in comfort or convenience. Cars wear out, and upgrading to an EV is quite realistic, with many models to choose from. Leasing an EV is probably the best option for most people, as it requires the least immediate cash outlay, allows for a trial run of the technology, and eliminates the risk of technical obsolescence: at the end of the lease, the vehicle can be returned for a small fee.

In addition to reducing pollution and fossil fuel use, EVs also eliminate our complicity with the many negative aspects of the petroleum industry, such as fracking, off shore drilling, support of foreign adventures and certain medieval autocracies, to name just a few.

We leased our EV four years ago. With a range of 84 miles (on a calm spring day and a level road) our car is now completely out of date, but serves our local travel needs rather well. Current EVs have much greater range, more advanced safety features, and better recharge capabilities. Some manufacturers now guarantee the main battery for the life of the car.

In short, we as individuals should not regard climate change as a problem to be solved in Washington. We should realize that we can make a direct and significant contribution to the solution here and now.

Al Cavallo

Western Way