I applaud the creative provisions of the new Opt-In Specialized Stretch Code and sincerely hope that Northampton votes to adopt it.

Denise Lello and Adele Franks point out that the new code has only a few changes from the existing stretch code that the city has already adopted [“City should take big step toward all-electric future,” Gazette, Sept. 4]. It’s heartening that those changes focus on protecting consumers and improving energy efficiency. They are right that construction done with efficiency in mind now will prevent expensive retrofitting later on.

Even those few changes, if adopted by all Massachusetts municipalities and particularly communities the size of Northampton, represent a significant step toward meeting Massachusetts climate goals. As we’ve seen this past year, when extreme weather has brought us face to face with climate change in ways we haven’t been prepared for, every step we can take now is important. Those steps all matter — the ones we take and the ones we don’t. I hope Northampton takes this one.

Sia Steward

Conway

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