Bottom up as well as top down on climate change

Mr. Peterson's Nov. 10 Guest View on climate policy addresses the need to take climate action from the top down, starting with international organizations. I agree that needs to happen, but we should also act quickly and locally from the bottom up.

One sector where a wave of local actions can make a big difference is electricity. For example, Naperville owns the utility providing electricity to most of the city. It buys 90% carbon-based electricity to provide to its customers and does not allow them to get clean energy through solar power purchase agreements or from alternative suppliers. Essentially the only way a customer of Naperville's electric utility can get clean energy is to spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy a solar system.

If Naperville were to switch to a clean energy supplier, it would eliminate one million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

A grass roots initiative (www.cleanenergynaperville.org) is forming to help Naperville electric customers ask Naperville to switch to clean energy and allow customers to use solar power purchase agreements.

Howard Salk

Naperville