Published: 7/29/2021 7:55:51 PM Over the past couple of years, public awareness "> Published: 7/29/2021 7:55:51 PM Over the past couple of years, public awareness " property="og:description"> Published: 7/29/2021 7:55:51 PM Over the past couple of years, public awareness ">
Guest columnist Sylvia Staub: Will Massachusetts lead once again? "> Published: 7/29/2021 7:55:51 PM Over the past couple of years, public awareness of, and concern for, the threat that global warming poses to human life on earth has risen steadily. This past year saw the costliest slew of weather disasters in history — hurricanes, tornados, floods, forest fires, and drought — and record global summer temperatures which took thousands of lives across the globe. In addition, rising sea levels threaten coastal cities around the world. The vast majority of climate scientists agree that the primary cause of global warming is the release of what are called greenhouse gases (GHG), the major one being carbon dioxide, with methane a close second. Both of these gases are produced by the burning of fossil fuels, namely, coal, oil and natural gas.