Letter: We are running out to time to prevent climate change disasters

Dear Editor, 

In recent news, the Environmental Protection Agency took action against a Grafton-based railroad company in accordance with the Clean Air Act, to protect local communities from propane emissions. As students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA, protecting the environment has become an increasingly relevant topic in our pursuit of science, and we are writing to express our concerns over the climate crisis. As young adults and future scientists, the state of our environment will be an unavoidable concern for the rest of our lives.

Climate change is caused by excessive carbon emissions that get trapped in the atmosphere and result in the warming of the planet. Its effects on our planet have already begun to cause a drastic increase in the severity and frequency of natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires. Global temperature levels are also expected to increase, and researchers have indicated that we are running out of time to prevent future disasters. We only have a decade left until the effects of climate change become irreversible.

The Grafton community has made positive efforts to protect the environment, such as favoring reusable and paper bags over single-use plastic ones. If we continue with such measures there will be hope for the future. Different ways to mitigate the effects of climate change include installing solar panels, growing native plants in gardens, and using LED bulbs. We urge the community to become further informed about climate change and the different methods to help protect our environment.

Sincerely,
Shravya Anisetti
Lindsey Gorham
Aseel Kambal
Olivia Spielberger