To the editor:

For the past two weeks, the Go! section of the Journal-World has featured emotional Monday musings regarding the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico (“Disasters: Some are preventable,” Judith Roitman, July 12, and “Go green,” Kelly Barth, July 19). Given the clear connection between this environmental catastrophe and our personal addiction to the automobile, I was hoping for some genuine fire and brimstone: Park your cars! Ride a bike! Use public transportation! However, instead of painful exhortations to redefine our auto-American way of life, these authors prescribed a healthy dose of intellectual psycho-babble.

Yes, we have to change the way we think about things. Think about this: School will begin next month, and perhaps our local educators can provide incentives to encourage students and families to park their four-wheeled beasts and try walking, biking or taking the bus to school. If we are genuinely concerned about saving the planet, the country or one’s soul, we need to begin by changing our personal driving habits.

Ray Finch,

Lawrence