To the Editor:

According to a recent study done by Pew Research, about half of American adults believe the earth is warming due to human activity. This is a discernible shift in public opinion from a few years ago. Concerns about increasing severity and frequency of storms, flooding, the rising cost of food, loss of wildlife, and the rise in refugees are some of the issues facing us, not in the very near future, but now. The present government is in denial, so it seems to me that is up to us as individuals to affect change. Here are five easy ways we can counteract climate change.

1. Compost food scraps. Newtown has a composting service. I just started and it is easy and makes me feel like I am doing something positive. Call Arlene Miles at 203-270-4300 or e-mail her at arlene.miles@newtown-ct.gov and she'll walk you through it. You can also go on the hrra.org website for information.

2. Recycle everything that's allowed. A recent study in our town found that most people recycle glass, cans, and plastic bottles, but not cardboard or plastic bags. Plastic bags take up to 1,000 years to decompose. The very least we can do is recycle them at the supermarket. Each one of our three supermarkets in town has a bin for just that reason. It's not a perfect solution, but it's a step in the right direction.

3. Drive less often and at slower speeds. Carpool. Save up your errands to get them done in one trip. Plan the trip in advance in order to be gas-efficient. Be more aware of your speed and keep it under the limit. When on a highway, use the cruise control.

4. Eat less meat. Processing beef and lamb emits an enormous amount of methane into the atmosphere which contributes to the warming of our climate. Cutting down the consumption of meat by 25 percent will have a huge impact overall.

5. Conserve water. It's what we all tell our kids and yet we are guilty of it, too. Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth, etc. This is an easy one, too, but easy to forget.

There is a march against climate change in Washington, DC, on April 29. A bus is leaving from Newtown late Friday night and returning early Sunday morning. For more information visit letskedaddle.com and use password 645d615bb10. Join us there and let your voice be heard.

Climate change is the defining issue of our time. If we don't act, our children will someday ask us why, when we could have done something, we didn't. I believe with all my heart that if we work together we can accomplish anything, even slowing down and turning back climate change. We are the caretakers of the earth, our children are the inheritors. Let's make sure we leave them a planet that is habitable.

Lynn Hungaski

Newtown Forward, Climate Change Subcommittee

29 Valley View Road, Newtown         March 29, 2017