Editors, Vineyard Gazette;

I would remind those who are opposed to the phasing out of gas-powered leaf blowers of an important fact: the amount of fossil fuels on earth is finite. Fossil fuels are formed over millions of years and cannot be replenished at the rate they are consumed and the annual world energy consumption is increasing. Data from Stanford University predicts that oil supplies will be exhausted by 2052, gas by 2060 and coal by 2090. Similar trends are confirmed by Infinity Renewables and Fair Planet.

Even the naysayers who pin their hopes on increased discovery of underground fossil fuel reserves, do not dispute that reserves, regardless of discovery, are finite.

My reply to the pro-gasoline leaf-blower group is that the only question that you need to answer is which future generation are you turfing the finite fossil fuel problem to — your grand kids or your great-grand kids?

Kevin R. Loughlin MD
Edgartown

The writer is vice-chairman of the Edgartown Climate Committee.