After reading the article about the Doomsday Clock [“Scientists: Eighty-nine seconds to midnight,” Gazette, Jan. 30], I felt deeply discouraged.

I’m very worried about having this warning hanging over our heads. We need to ensure that humanity will survive and not be destroyed by nuclear war. Nevertheless, I am encouraged that our local group Back from the Brink is actively working on ways to save our world. Given these high stakes, we must join together to prevent nuclear war and to protect our Earth.

Now that our government doesn’t seem to be moving in the direction of peace and sanity, it is going to be more important than ever for us as citizens to effectively work for, and to mobilize support for, a safer future. It’s a tall burden for regular people, but as our democracy shows, it’s ultimately up to the public to try to steer our country in the right direction.

Sidney Moss

Northampton