Dear Editors,

Our “beloved” Upstate New York winter is not coming. Our planet has been steadily heating up,
these past 8 years have been the hottest recorded in history. Summer temperatures have become scorching, and winter temperatures are not what they used to be. While some celebrate our winters being warmer, it’s a sign that pollution in the environment is building up to the point of no return, some parts of the earth will no longer be habitable as soon as 2050. Global warming isn’t nonsense, it’s not made up to get you to buy certain products, it is a very real issue that affects each and every one of us in day to day life. In order to begin to heal our planet, everyone needs to take actions that lead to the reduction of global warming and pollution in daily life.

We can do this by reducing plastic usage. Plastic heavily contributes to greenhouse emissions, which
is the factor responsible for heating up our planet. Doing something as simple as re-using a bottle, or
purchasing a plastic alternative helps in more ways than you can imagine. Re-use is more effective than
simply recycling an item, only 6% of plastics are actually recycled. You may separate your recycling from
your trash, but once it leaves your home, they both become mixed together. Recycling is not nearly as
effective as re-use and reduction practices. The iconic ‘Reduse, Re-Use, Recycle’ saying is a tier list, ranking the most effective practice to the least effective out of the three.

Even if this issue doesn’t seem to matter to you, reader, think of your children. Think of your
children’s children. Do you really want to leave this world polluted and barely habitable for them?

We need to make a change, now.

– Ava Bell, Glens Falls Resident