Kudos to both John Sinton and David DiDonato for their recent opinions in the Gazette, the former rejecting the idea that Russia is not in the wrong with its invasion of Ukraine and the latter about how eastern Massachusetts wants our “forests, fields and farmlands” for solar power. I would add one point to each of these well-taken opinions.

On DiDonato’s point about solar power, why is the state not mandating solar panels for all new construction and all parking lots? Adding panels to new homes does add to the cost of construction, but the addition is a mere fraction of the total cost, and it pays for itself in less than six years.

The savings on an average home’s electric bill over 25 years is estimated at more than $50,000. A state-subsidized loan program for affordable housing could eliminate the cost hurdle there, too. This is a real no-brainer.

Sinton rejects another recent opinion writer’s defense of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The writer had argued that the U.S. is to blame for bringing the former communist Eastern European countries into NATO and thus threatening Russia. I would add just this: Those nations were extremely eager to join the alliance precisely to protect themselves from invasion by Russia.

They are now all prosperous and democratic (more or less, with Hungary sliding onto the “less” side). Are any of them eager to leave NATO? Putin’s fear is that the success of democracy in those countries could undermine his autocratic plutocracy. What if the Russian people decided they wanted the same?

John Connolly

Haydenville