I am writing to express my surprise and distress that Edgartown voted against electric buses and for plastic water bottles at the town meeting on June 13.

I am an Edgartown homeowner and voter, and I ride the buses frequently. Sometimes they are crowded, sometimes not, as is the case with all public transportation. They are very valuable to a lot of us, including people who work and own businesses, and young people and others who don’t have cars. For many people, 29 Church street is the entrance to Edgartown, and it is badly in need of refurbishment.

As to the personal-size plastic bottles, it’s very easy to purchase water and other drinks in cardboard boxes, like those we are accustomed to for milk and orange juice. And it’s even easier, of course, to fill a reusable bottle with tap water.

In both cases, we need to do everything reasonably possible to combat climate change and reduce our carbon footprints. I hope the people who are working to advance these initiatives will not give up.

Julia Livingston

Edgartown