ISIS. Immigration reform. The NSA. Gun control. The end of the two-party
system as we know it. What do all of these terrifying issues for the 2016
election have in common? None of them matter because every forecast on climate
change predicts severe consequences without dramatic measures. And yet, federal
legislators do essentially nothing.”
These are the words of
Mike Beitiks, candidate for US Senate. Out of twenty plus candidates vying to
represent California, only Mr. Beitiks (a virtual unknown) and Kamala Harris
even mention the most urgent problem we face.
While we’re
side-tracked on silly issues like who uses which restrooms, researchers at Texas
A&M University say every hour of everyday 4.1 million tons of carbon dioxide
are being put into the atmosphere, while 3.7 million barrels of oil, 932,000
tons of coal, and 395 million cubic meters of natural gas are removed from the
earth.
We are already
experiencing the effects: stronger storms, more droughts, fires and floods,
rising seas, wildlife at risk, heat related illnesses and disease—they all have
a cost, partly paid in human lives.
Sound alarmist? Well,
somebody besides Mr. Beitiks had better start getting alarmed—and getting our
politicians alarmed too.
Twyla Smith
May 2016
unpublished
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