To the Editor:

It was good to see that the Wednesday, May 14 “Town Talk” asked the important question “On a scale of 1 to 10, how concerned are you about climate change?” Even better to hear from six respondents that their concern about this critical issue tops that scale. Everyone asked was appropriately aware and worried about our destabilizing climate. Some felt “it’s hard for anybody to do anything” or “It doesn’t seem that anyone is doing anything about it,” while another said that “there’s still a chance that we can do something about it” but asked what to do.

I, too, long wondered how any ordinary person could begin to address a challenge of this magnitude. It seemed that traditional “green” groups could become overwhelmed by local battles over individual sources of carbon-based energy, one pipeline or fracking well at a time, when the problem is massive.

Fortunately, an environmentalist neighbor told me about Citizens’ Climate Lobby: a growing, energetic nonpartisan group with the big-picture strategy and grassroots tactics to pull our country together on mitigating climate change. To the people interviewed by Town Topics, who spoke on behalf of billions who need a de-carbonized future: hope and help are here. We cannot just give up, and there is effective focused action to be taken, now.

Caroline (Callie) Hancock

Group Leader, Citizens Climate Lobby

NJ – Princeton Chapter, Laurel Road

To the Editor:

It was encouraging to see Town Topics raising the issue of belief in the seriousness of global warming and the local residents in Town Talk largely agreeing that it is a very serious issue already changing our climate. Fortunately there are things we all can do that can have an impact.

1. Which a number of countries have already put in place (as has British Columbia) and which some states like Massachusetts and California are investigating, is a “carbon tax,” which would act like the cigarette tax, in encouraging people to reduce CO₂ emissions, and turn away from fossil fuels.

2. Make our houses and businesses more energy efficient, while saving money on energy expenditures.

3. Drive electric or hybrid cars.

4. Contact our political representatives at local and national levels telling them that this is an issue that needs to be addressed quickly. (Again, a carbon tax with proceeds returned to tax payers is simple and efficient.)

Huck Fairman

Mt. Lucas Road