To the Editor:

Call it “Global Warming,” call it “Climate Change,” call it what you like … We are experiencing a number of unprecedented events, the likes of which this planet has never seen.

Every day, we are bombarded with new reports and articles from around the world, no matter where or how we choose to get our information.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all of this. It’s easy to believe that a lot of it is “Fake News,” weaponized by politicians on both sides of the aisle. It’s easy to think that it’s someone else’s problem to solve.

After all, what can we, in Newtown, do to reverse the catastrophic melting of ice sheets in Greenland or the Antarctic … and what does it matter, anyway? We are 450-750 feet above today’s sea level. Yes, but 600 million people worldwide live on the coast, within 30 feet of current sea levels. Think Manhattan, Long Island, and Florida.

Canadian and Californian wildfires. Sure, they happen routinely. But not at such a record pace and not to the extent that we, in Newtown, are advised to stay indoors due to extreme air quality issues.

These fires continue to consume huge swaths of land, never mind the dangers to families, homes, livestock and pets … and yes, we have experienced brushfires here in town this year.

Water scarcity: 771 million people lack access to clean, fresh water. That’s one in ten people on the planet. It’s not simply a water problem. It’s about access to the right water … What can we, in Newtown, do about that? Maybe support the companies that are already taking steps to improve matters?

This letter has nothing to do with politics or partisan attitudes. Our intent is simply to provide reputable sources of information for you to research and better-understand the problem.

There are a number of experts who know the facts and have articulated them very well. Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, Thomas Friedman’s Hot, Flat and Crowded, John Grisham’s Gray Mountain, etc, etc. You don’t need to read the plethora of statistics, just look at the pictures!

It’s not that others aren’t taking action. Just look at what a 20-year-old activist from Sweden, Greta Thunberg, can do … It’s just not enough. We need to take action and take it now.

Bottom-up approaches can be as impactful as top-down and can be easier/quicker to implement. “Small actions — Big differences.” How long have we heard “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”? Changes to individual and family behaviors: Switching off the lights, shorter showers, reducing the HVAC, energy-efficient appliances. The list goes on and on.

If you are interested in learning more, we could point you in the direction of materials that we believe contain important information. You can choose which to read, where to start, and even what you might do to impact the situation. Please let us know your thoughts.

It’s up to you — do it for your grandchildren!

Frank B. Gardner

Neil P. Randle

Sandy Hook