Why I want Enfield’s old schools torn down, not renovated

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  Water-stained ceiling tiles in an office at Hazardville Memorial School I've been researching hazardous materials in Enfield's elementary schools and reading the inspection reports that federal law requires. Every school with asbestos must get a full inspection every three years and a check every six months. Enfield's last full inspection was in 2024. The last six-month check was in June. I went to the school department and looked at the records to gain a better understanding of what's involved. I did not realize, until I looked at the material, how much effort the school system has to take to ensure the children are safe. I'm planning to write something in greater detail, but for now the opposition has to understand the real implications of a "no" vote. Asbestos may sit in old floor tile and glue, pipe insulation and ceiling material. Asbestos materials that are sealed or in good condition do not put fibers in the air. They become a problem when they ar...

Reactions to climate change on Enfield's Facebook forum


Enfield

Enfield is probably typical to many other suburban towns. It has a large number of people who see climate change as a liberal conspiracy and plot to take "control" of the economy. You can see a little of this on the Enfield community forum on Facebook. The responses to my recent post on Enfield's climate risks illustrates this to a degree. 

 It's very easy to turn a Facebook post into a name-calling festival. The admins of the community open forum do a very good job trying to moderate this risk. But the reactions to the climate change problem can be discouraging. The discussion mirrors the broader, national response. There's a paralysis on the issue and outright hostility to the science lead by President Trump. 

 This was my response on Facebook: 

The amount of C02 in our thin atmosphere is increasing at a rate that the planet hasn't seen before. We know this and we know the cause. There's nothing natural about the increase or its cause. We're doing it. Scientists have known for 100++ years that C02 acts as a heat trapping gas. You can lie to yourself about many things, but not about atmospheric chemistry. The global temperature may increase by 7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100 and that is well within the range of outcomes. 

 The oceans have been capturing much of the CO2 so far, but it's increasing the pH levels, the acidity of the oceans. This will impact the food chain. They can measure this. 

 The people who see this as no big deal, or some kind of natural event, and oppose measures to reverse direction are making a bet. They are betting that they are right. They are saying to their children that they have nothing to worry about. The evidence says that people who hold this view are not only very wrong but are reckless. 

 There's a school of thought that says humanity won't get its act together. There's a belief that the U.S., still the most powerful and scientifically advanced nation on the planet, won't muster the resolve to lead the world out of this mess. There are a lot of people who believe we're incapable -- man and womankind -- of taking the steps to do the right thing. There are some young people, and I am not kidding you, who are debating whether they should have children. They don't want to bring them into a dying world. I personally believe they are wrong. There is still hope and time. But it is time for us to look out for one another and the future. The whining and name calling and political blaming has to end.

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