Matthew Erickson admits he didn’t know much about global warming until he saw Al Gore’s documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” last year.

As the film showed how the Arctic ice sheets could melt and polar bears become extinct within his lifetime, the proverbial light bulb in Erickson’s head went on.

In an effort to do his own part in helping the environment, Erickson, along with several friends, is giving away 60,000 compact fluorescent bulbs to senior citizens and needy families, as well as educating people about their energy-saving benefits.

“It’s a huge problem to tackle, but somebody has to start, even if it’s a small step,” said Erickson, 16, who helped form the group HelpLightNJ with his friend John Cad dock. Both are students at Mater Dei High School in Middletown Township.

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