Carol Morse and Jim O’Connell, Westford residents on behalf of Westford Climate Action
In recent days, devastating hurricanes and historic flooding swept across the south, leaving countless people homeless and many dead. Especially hard hit was Asheville, NC, totally unprepared for such a hit. Earlier this year wildfires swept the western part of the country and Canada in what now has become a yearly event. Nearby, in 2023, Leominster experienced eleven inches of rain in less than five hours in unprecedented flooding tearing out roads, bridges, and railroad tracks.
Global warming is playing out across the world at a pace and to an extent even scientists underestimated. According to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Climate Program “The cost of 173 largest extreme weather disasters between 2014 and 2023 was over 1 trillion dollars”. Sadly, these kinds of storms are predicted to increase because not enough is being done to mitigate the causes.
It is important that we all do our part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and let our town leaders know what we expect of them in this urgent matter. Currently the Town Manager’s office is collecting climate surveys to do just that. Please fill out and submit yours by the end of this month to help shape the town’s path and actions going forward.
Disclaimer: If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, contact managing editor Ben Domaingue at bdomaingue@westfordcat.org. Letters to the editor are reviewed and published at the discretion of the editor. Letters to the editor represent the opinion of the reader who submits it and do not necessarily represent the opinions of WestfordCAT or its employees. WestfordCAT retains the right to refuse any letter to the editor for publication as it deems necessary.
Letters should be 750 words or less. Letters should include the name, address, phone number, email of the individual submitting it. Only name and town will be published. Submissions do not necessarily have to be from Westford residents, however, those with Westford ties will have priority. Letters that contain direct personal attacks against an individual will not be published. Letters that contain libelous content will not be published. Readers may only submit one letter per 30-day period.
