We demonstrated with the recent elections that we want change. We now need a strong leader who will quickly enact bold policies to protect our earth, children, and our future. We also must be prepared to do our part.

All too often members of Congress push forward today's problems for the leaders of tomorrow.

We need to do something now. As our population grows bigger, we continue to deplete our resources with no concern for tomorrow. We continue to add pollution to our air and water. How many people can this earth hold and feed, with sufficient water and shelter? How much pollution can it withstand?

We must stop wasting our every resource and find ways to conserve food, water, energy, and raw materials. We can start by using biofuels, walking more, recycling, buying less, using fluorescent light bulbs, turning our heat down/air up, planting trees, and building smaller homes.

All residents must do their part.

Cities and towns can do their share by adding sidewalks, allowing scooters on sidewalks, making local pollution laws, making recycling mandatory, promoting biofuels, saving trees, and educating the public.

We worry about cigarette smoking, yet the air quality does not bother us? Poison and pollution caused by gasoline and industries are fine. We want land, oceans and lakes, yet we do nothing to protect them or their inhabitants.

We can all start by educating ourselves (reading books such as "Collapse") and joining environmental groups.

Maybe it is time to limit the number of children a family can have. Eventually there will be a shortage of raw materials and natural resources.

No one argues consistently that we have pollution or overpopulation.

Let's fix and protect the earth before we destroy it.

Karola M. Richardson

Pinehurst