To the Editor:

We are not addressing climate change on the national level.

The burning of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, crude oil, and its many derivatives for human consumption contain many pollutants such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and mercury. Carbon monoxide is the most lethal, but with ventilation, it disperses easily and exits our breathing atmosphere readily. Sulfur dioxide can be removed mechanically after fuel combustion and before effluent emission. Mercury, a small proportion of the after-combustions pollutants, precipitates to the earth and is absorbed by soil and water. Carbon dioxide, however, remains in our atmosphere for numerous decades, and it has the undesirable character of trapping sun rays in our atmosphere, causing a greenhouse effect that increases in intensity as more fossil fuels are consumed. Certain concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are essential for having the necessary global temperatures for food production and a harmonious ecosystem. We have exceeded those concentrations and are now in a climate crisis where the balance of nature supporting all living things is being altered toward apocalyptic proportions.

Individual states in our country do not have the resources or the global reach to address this crisis. The full and urgent commitment of our nation is needed to take the lead and to threaten noncomplying nations with sanctions. Only with measures of this magnitude and commitment will we have a chance to provide a livable future for our children and grandchildren.

Peter Alagna

55 Head O’ Meadow Road, Newtown November 25, 2019

Editor’s note: Mr Alagna received his degree in chemical engineering from the University of Connecticut and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from New York University. He is a former chairman of the Water Pollution Control Authority.