Notwithstanding President Trump’s ill-considered decision to pull us out of the Paris accord, the U.S. can still meet the obligations we undertook under that agreement.

So much can be done by cities, towns, companies, states, families and individuals. For example, my business partner and I recently installed a solar array on the roof of our apartment building at 41 State St. in Portland that will generate 42,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. These panels will pay for themselves in eight years and lower our electricity usage there by 65 percent.

There’s so much we can do even as individuals: Replace old, inefficient furnaces with new, much more efficient ones. Walk or bike to work, or drive hybrid, electric or other efficient vehicles. Better insulate and seal our homes. Replace incandescent bulbs with vastly more efficient fluorescents or light-emitting diodes. Eat foods lower on the food chain, and more local foods. And, of course, advocate for policies that promote low-carbon forms of energy.

The federal government controls relatively little of our society’s energy usage. If we the people decide we want to cut our carbon emissions because it’s important for our planet’s future, we can do it!

Nathan Szanton

Portland