I
want to thank Rep. Devin Nunes for sending me a survey that asked for my
thoughts about climate change.
But
I’m not sure he understands that addressing climate change is actually good for
our economy. The survey’s 2ndquestion
asked, “Is it vital that the U.S. cut its carbon emissions?” I wanted to simply
answer, “Yes!” But the closest possible answer was, “It is vital to cut carbon
emissions as soon as possible, regardless of economic impact.”
Actually,
it is vital to cut emissions — not regardless,
butbecauseof the economic impact. According
to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in the first half of
this year, our country experienced six extreme weather events that cost over $1
billion each. Last year, extreme weather events cost our country $91 billion. In
coming decades, our Valley’s farmers will cope with the damaging effects of
climate change as the Sierra snowpack shrivels up, crop yields shrink, and farm
workers suffer from hotter temperatures.
Unlike
our human mothers, Mother Nature is unforgiving. She has already given us a
taste of her medicine; more is on its way. Do the prudent thing, congressman,
and act now.
My daughter lives in the
Bahamas, so I watched Hurricane Dorian closely. While my daughter's island was
spared, sadly the Abacos and Grand Bahama took a direct and deadly hit.
Once again, another
monster storm has destroyed lives, livelihoods and property. For four decades,
climate scientists have warned that a warming climate would make storms more
intense and dangerous.
I find it tragically
ironic that some of the politicians who rely on the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to help them decide when and where to issue hurricane
advisories and evacuation orders, are the same ones who belittle and ignore
NOAA’s climate research and advice. In both cases, NOAA utilizes super-computer
modeling and scientific consensus to make its predictions.
Are
your local, state and federal representatives listening to climate scientists,
or to special interests who profit from the status quo? If you don’t know, this
is a good time to find out and demand that they utilize sound science to solve
the climate crisis.
After
all, next time my daughter … or your loved one … may not be so lucky.
I’m
glad that the Heritage Foundation and other conservative groups now acknowledge
that climate change is real and caused by greenhouse gas emissions. But the
recent opinion piece by Heritage staff seems to claim that we can’t address
climate change without harming our economy.
Three
thousand five hundred economists, including all living former Federal Reserve
chairs (ie, Alan Greenspan, Janet Yellen) and 27 Nobel Prize winners urge
putting a price on carbon where it is produced and returning all the collected
fees to American households. A recent study aggregated the results of 11 top
peer-reviewed models that simulated the results of such a policy. There was a
clear consensus this would not harm the economy. The study showed it would save
thousands of lives, reduce climate risk, and save money by eliminating a number
of regulations.
HR763
is a bipartisan bill that proposes such a policy and now has 59 co-sponsors in
the House. The bill uses market forces rather than regulations to inspire the
innovation we need to drawdown greenhouse gas emissions. It also offers a just
transition to a cleaner energy economy For the sake of our children’s future, we
need to move beyond “business as usual”
I am looking for Republicans who are concerned about
climate change.
I volunteer with Citizens’ Climate Lobby. CCL is
deliberately bipartisan. We have a “Conservative Caucus” helping present our
ideas to Republican legislators.
But to be honest, CCL Fresno needs more Republicans.
Republican sentiment for strong climate action is
growing. Frank Luntz, the famous conservative pollster on Fox News, sent a memo
to Republicans in Congress. His polling found that Republicans support a “carbon
dividend” plan 2 to 1, reaching 6 to 1 for Republicans under 40.
Carbon dividends start with carbon fees on oil, coal
and natural gas. The money collected is distributed as dividends. Thousands of
conservative economists like this market-based plan for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions.
For 10 years CCL has pushed this kind of legislation,
and finally a bipartisan bill has been introduced, the “Energy Innovation and
Carbon Dividend Act”, HR 763.
Actually, three more bills have been introduced with
carbon fees. These others give only part of the money back to the people. The
other money is either swapped for lower payroll taxes, or spent directly on
reducing emissions.
I have lived in Terra Bella, a quiet and close-knit town
of a little over 3,000 people in Tulare County, for the past six years. My
hard-working parents, like most people in Terra Bella, pick the fruits and
vegetables that are bound for markets all over the world. As the 18-year-old
daughter of a low-income Latino family, the last place I would have imagined
myself was lobbying Congress about climate change in Washington,
D.C.??But on June 8, I traveled to the Capitol with four other
volunteers from the??Central Valley thanks to a student scholarship from
Citizens??? Climate Lobby. Just a few weeks after graduating from high school, I
was lucky enough to attend the 10th Annual International Climate Change
Conference and Lobby Day and meet with members of Congress in the House of
Representatives.
As a millennial and part of the future of this country,
the constant threat of climate change is something that worries me. I know many
young adults feel the same way. It was reassuring to meet other young people
when I was in Washington who are also working towards solutions. Global warming
and the changes it is causing to our climate are no longer possible to ignore.
The science has been proven and we can see the effects around us. The average
temperature is hotter than ever, which affects our air quality. Glaciers are
melting and fires, floods and storms are more frequent and more
intense.
I have learned that the communities most affected by
global warming and air pollution are those just like mine ??? under-resourced,
low income, undereducated communities of color. I have seen how these categories
can lead to a mentality of either denial or conformity. Either mentality can
stop people like me from seeing problems and using our voices to impact the
future. I used to feel discouraged from discussing religion or politics. But the
more I learned about climate change, the more I felt I had a mission to make an
impact on the way we are addressing this worldwide problem.
The democratic process of our country is inspiring to me.
And even though I have felt intimidated at times, I feel proud and humbled to
help my community to use its voice to support effective action to protect us
from the effects of greenhouse gas emissions.??I went to D.C. to learn
and also to encourage Congress to support a bipartisan bill, HR 763, the Energy
Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Instead of telling people what they can or
can???t do or buy, this bill uses a market-driven solution to encourage
innovation. This will help us use more renewable sources of energy that will do
less harm to our air, water and soil.??
This past year, I started giving presentations about
climate change in my area. The student governments of three Porterville high
schools (Summit Academy Charter School, Harmony Magnet Academy, and Granite
Hills) have now endorsed the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend
Act.??HR763 will be good for people because it is predicted to lower
greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent in just 12 years. On top of that, all of
the money from the fees on carbon emissions goes back to all Americans to spend
any way they choose. 2.1 million jobs new jobs are expected, many from the extra
spending power people will have from the dividend. Everyone will benefit but
this will especially help low- and middleincome people.
Although the Energy Innovation Act in Congress is a huge
step in the right direction, our local members of Congress are still hesitant to
cosponsor HR 763. We need them to act before the damage of global warming and
the changes it is causing to our environment get worse.
I will be leaving Terra Bella for college in Los Angeles
soon, but I will never forget about my family, my town, or my community. They
are counting on me to work hard, succeed and to help them to have a voice for a
healthy future. That???s why I am asking Valley Representatives TJ Cox, Jim
Costa, Kevin McCarthy, Tom McClintock and Devin Nunes to help Valley residents
by supporting this bipartisan bill.
Paulina Torres is a recent graduate of Summit Academy
Charter School in Porterville. She will be attending UCLA in the fall as a
political science major. She enjoys playing soccer, practicing guitar, and
spending time with family. She is a volunteer with Citizens??? Climate Lobby in
Fresno.
Negative
stories often dominate the news so I was heartened on a recent Saturday by two
articles in the Valley Voices section of The Bee. In the first, John Minkler
described his civic education program, in which students are taught to be
participants in our democracy, not just passive observers. These fortunate
students are learning by doing, the best kind of learning there is. Kudos to
those teachers he works with who are willing to put in the extra time and energy
that this kind of program requires.
Then
to my surprise, an article directly below Minkler’s described an inspiring
example of this type of active citizenship. Pauline Torres, fresh out of high
school, described her concern about her future and the future of others in
regard to climate change. Her care and concern took her to Washington, D.C.,
where she advocated for a House bill, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend
Act. Pauline is working toward solutions for this global crisis.
Because of the resources and scientific capabilities of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, penicillin saved the lives of thousands of soldiers during World
War II. The drug had been discovered in Britain in 1928, but it was not until
1942 that a small amount from Britain was nurtured by a division of the USDA
into the thousands of doses needed by the military.
That USDA division,
the Agricultural Research Services (ARS), is still doing great science, but the
Trump administration has stopped promoting any research which shows the negative
effects of climate change on food production. Since January 2017, the ARS has
publicized just two climate-related studies, both favorable to the meat
industry. Dozens of climate-related studies have been ignored, including a major
study showing that rice loses vitamins in a carbon-rich environment, a fact that
will affect hundreds of millions of people.
Climate change is a daunting
challenge, but the more we understand how it will affect the planet, the better
we will be able to mitigate the damage. The administration's head-in-the-sand
approach assures an ever more dreadful future.
I’m feeling grateful to three Republican members of
Congress who joined Democrats to vote for the Climate Action Now Act (HR 9),
which would prevent the administration from pulling out of the Paris climate
accord. They are Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York, Brian Fitzpatrick of
Pennsylvania and Vern Buchanan of Florida. Having seen the suffering caused by
sea level rise and more dangerous storms, they courageously put the welfare of
their constituents above party politics.
Likewise, I appreciate Reps. Jim Costa and TJ Cox,
who also voted for this resolution. They are paying attention to climate
scientists and constituents who advise that addressing climate change now will
save lives and cost far less than ignoring the problem.
Polls show that voters prefer candidates and
politicians who reach across the aisle to work with members of other parties.
Their ability to collaborate enables them to legislate more effective solutions
than those resulting from the “my way or the highway” approach.
Let’s thank these legislators for working together
for the common good.
George Burman summarized the effects of climate
change quite accurately in his Valley Voice last Saturday. There is an
important information, however, that needs to be added.
A bipartisan solution, the Energy Innovation and
Carbon Dividend Act, (H.R. 763) was introduced into Congress in January
and has been steadily gaining co-sponsors as well as support from major
institutions. This policy will reduce America’s emissions by at least
40% in the first 12 years. The fees collected on carbon emissions will
be allocated to all Americans to spend any way they choose. The
government will not keep any of the fees collected. This bill needs your
support.
George Burman (Valley Voices, April 27)
elucidated frightening consequences of climate change, likening human
civilization to the crew of the Titanic in its denial and inaction.
Bottom line: global warming is real, it’s bad, and we caused it, by
spewing billions of tons of greenhouse gases into Earth’s atmosphere.
Yet we may avoid catastrophe if we take action
immediately. We must insist that our elected representatives support HR
763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. This revenue-neutral
bill puts a gradually increasing fee on carbon at the source, returning
the proceeds to American families as a dividend while reducing
America’s emissions by 40%.
But that’s not all. Global warming has
been understood since the 1970s, but the fossil fuel industry has waged a
massive, unrelenting campaign of lobbying, donations, and outright
lying to keep Americans from accepting the facts. To counter that, we
must also support HJR 48, the “We the People Amendment,” which will
establish that (1) corporations are not persons entitled to
constitutional rights and (2) money is not speech and can be regulated
in elections. We must take back our democracy from the monied interests
in order to tackle climate change and other problems we face.
Robert Pethoud, Fresno
Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article229973204.html#storylink=cpy
May 2, 2019 This is a plea to Valley religious leaders and
their faith communities. I believe religious leaders try to be good
stewards to their congregations and good stewards for all of God's
beautiful creation. Air pollution in our Valley worsens conditions for
all of us, but especially for the children and the elderly. Our rates of
asthma, Valley fever and COPD are already high and the worsening
wildfires exacerbated by climate change will make it worse.
Religious leaders are in a position to raise
awareness and encourage steps to improve the situation. Letters and
phone calls to members of Congress can lead to action. People also can
join and help environmental organizations. I belong to Citizens’ Climate
Lobby Fresno, which has chapters all across the United States.
We are excited that we have a
bipartisan-supported bill in Congress, HR 763. If passed it will create
jobs and reduce carbon pollution.
To be good stewards, I hope religious leaders and
faith-based communities will take bold steps to protect our valley,
God’s creation, and all life on earth.
Andrea Boone, Fresno
Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article229882669.html#storylink=cpy
Earth on collision course with climate change. We must act fast if we are to survive
By George Burman
The phrase in extremis is a nautical term that describes a
situation where two vessels are on a collision course and have reached a
point where no action by either vessel can possibly avoid the
collision. Some maneuvering can reduce the severity of the impact,
possibly saving some lives, but the collision is unavoidable.
Human civilization is in extremis. We are on a
collision course with the past and present actions we have made to fuel
the Industrial Revolution, two world wars (and numerous “limited” wars,)
industrial sized agriculture, and a fast-paced, self-indulgent
lifestyle. Sadly, only a small fraction of the humans living today have
benefited from these actions, but the vast majority, essentially all, of
humans living today, and who will be living in future generations, will
suffer from what is happening.
Just as tragic are the consequences to non-human life: the decimation
of forests and grasslands; extinction of birds, insects and mammals;
the death of the corals and plankton that are the basis for the food
chains in the oceans that feed us and give us oxygen. Virtually all
living things on the planet are helpless passengers trapped in the
steerage holds of the ship headed for destruction.
As was depicted in the movie “Titanic,” the
captain and officers of the ship could see the disaster looming before
them, but they denied that there was a problem. At first, they thought
the lookouts just imagined seeing an iceberg, then the iceberg wasn’t
that big, then it couldn’t damage the ship, then the ship was
unsinkable. And so the denial and delusion went on, even as the stern
was 100 feet in the air and the bow pointed to the bottom. That is what I
think of when I see United States senators on the floor of the capitol
saying that climate change is just a liberal fantasy.
Well, that “liberal fantasy” has already warmed
the Earth by 1 degree Celsius since the beginning of the Industrial
Revolution. Many poo-poo this number; “Just 1°C ? That’s nothing to
worry about!” Well, we can see the effects of 1°C warming by just
looking at what has already occurred: Two “500-year” storms hitting
Houston within months of each other; unprecedented flooding in the
Midwest that recently occurred; historic amounts of snow and ice across
the United States; loss of sea ice in the Arctic to a degree never
before seen; glaciers melting across the globe; hurricanes devastating
Puerto Rico and the Gulf states; flooding from sea level rise in Miami
occurring on an almost daily basis; a tropical cyclone (i.e. hurricane)
striking southeast Africa with a ferocity never before seen; the list
goes on and on.
Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article229697499.html#storylink=cpy
If the things listed above, resulting from a 1°C rise seem bad, just
wait. The average global temperature is projected to rise by 2°C by
2030, even if we were to stop all burning of fossil fuels by that year.
With the present attitudes of most of the world’s leadership, it is
impossible that we will be able to eliminate use of fossil fuels in 10
years time. More than 190 nations signed on to the Paris Climate Accords
in 2017, yet none of them are on track to reach the goals they agreed
to. One of them, the United States (one of the larger carbon polluters),
has withdrawn from the agreement completely. Our political leaders are
like the officers on the bridge of the Titanic, denying that the iceberg
is a threat. Instead of trying to slow the ship down to minimize the
damage from what looms ahead, we are going full throttle toward
destruction. We seem hell-bent on insuring that the global temperature
will rise by 3-4°C by 2050, maybe by 5-6°C by 2100. Under those
conditions, sea levels will rise by more than 200 feet, and much of
North America, Europe, Africa, Australia and South America will be under
sea water or parched by drought. The regions that provide our food, the
oxygen we breathe, and the water we drink will be unrecognizable. The
human species might not be extinct, but human civilization will no
longer exist.
Even though the collision is inevitable, and is
already occurring, we don’t have to continue at all-ahead flank speed.
We can slow down our use of fossil fuels, we can do some things to
remove carbon from the atmosphere, we can use food sources that aren’t
built on the very top of the food chain, and we can change our
lifestyles. We really don’t have much choice in the matter, since all
those things will inevitably happen once we are trying to survive in a
3°C or 4°C warmer world. But, we can decide to do those things sooner,
rather than later, and hope we can preserve a world that our children
and grandchildren can live in.
It won’t be easy. It won’t be fun. It won’t be
like a class project to see what it would be like to go without meat for
a month, or to walk everywhere for a couple of weeks. It won’t be just a
handful of motivated individuals sacrificing while the rest of the
world goes on with business as usual. It won’t be just the people in one
town, or one state or one country completely changing their of life to
reduce the destruction of a 2°C warmer planet. It will take the whole
planet. The environment will continue to degrade, but just not as fast.
This will have to continue for decades, but, after all, it took decades
for things to get this bad, and the laws of physics don’t go any faster
in reverse. This is not a pretty picture, but all the other pictures I
can imagine are worse.
I am 79 years old. In my remaining years, I
probably will not have to experience the horrors that I have suggested
here. I could easily sit back and say, well, that is going to be tough
for someone to fix. But, I can’t do that. I fear for my children and my
grandchildren, and for all the children and grandchildren of my
community, my state, my country and my world.
So, what can be done? Student demonstrations and
protests are helping to focus attention on the problem, but they don’t
solve the problem. Seeing an elementary school class make posters about
the plight of sea turtles increases the student’s awareness, but doesn’t
directly save any turtles. What is needed is for us to support
political leaders who are not climate deniers and who will actively
promote legislation that will reduce fossil fuel use drastically in the
next decade, and completely by 2050. Support means contributing to their
campaigns and then to show up and vote! These leaders need to have the
courage to stand up to the pressures of the manufacturing, automobile,
oil, and industrial-scale agriculture industries who will cry that
anything limiting their business-as-usual practices will devastate the
economy. Well, the economy is going to be devastated before we get to a
3°C warmer world, and not just here in the United States.
It will be worldwide devastation, so the things
listed above need to be done on a worldwide basis. It will be a
frightening, difficult trip, but what other choice do we have?
George Burman of
Fresno is retired Navy veteran with 30 years of service, a retired high
school teacher and a charter member of the Central Valley chapter of the
U. S. Green Building Council.
April 21, 2019
I occasionally write to my congressman, Devin
Nunes, about climate change. He always responds with a thoughtful,
respectful letter. While he dismisses the threat of climate change, he
acknowledges that rising carbon dioxide levels are of concern: “On the
most basic level, you and I can agree we must reduce carbon emissions —
irrespective of its impact on the climate. In doing so, we can
accomplish my goal of reducing our reliance on foreign oil and creating
jobs, and we can accomplish our goal of reducing carbon in the
atmosphere.”
I find this heartening, since it suggests that
there are actually some areas of agreement on both sides of the aisle.
Both sides want to cut air pollution, reduce carbon in the atmosphere,
and create jobs in our Valley.
Both college Republicans and Democrats get it:
last year they created Students for Carbon Dividends, a group promoting a
free-market solution to climate change.
There is now a bipartisan bill in Congress — HR
763 — which would put a fee on carbon dioxide and return all revenues to
American households. It would also grow our economy, create more jobs,
and help clean up our air. That’s a win-win for all of us.
Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article229476634.html#storylink=cpyhttps://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article229476634.html
Earth Day’s movement for healthy environment continues with call to action on climate
By Mark Reynolds and
Connie Young
As Americans observe Earth Day on Monday, let’s take a moment to
reflect on the power of the grassroots movement behind that first
celebration in 1970, which led to dramatic changes that improved the
quality of our lives through cleaner air and water.
Shocked by the massive oil spill that fouled the
beaches of Santa Barbara in 1969, Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson
organized the first Earth Day the following spring. The response was
overwhelming: Some 20 million Americans turned out to show their support
for cleaning up the environment.
Today, a similar movement is building
for Congress to enact measures to preserve a livable climate for future
generations. Across the country, volunteers with Citizens’ Climate Lobby
have conducted more than 1,000 outreach events in their local
communities, aiming for a goal of 2,000 outreach events this spring.
Some of those have happened in the Central Valley. Not only that, but
they’ve held more than 250 meetings with their members of Congress since
January, asking them to support a bipartisan climate solution known as
the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763).
Thousands of economists across the political spectrum have said the
most effective step we can take to bring down the emissions causing
climate change is to put a robust price on carbon. If revenue is
returned to households, they say, our economy will actually benefit. The
Energy Innovation Act does just that. It is: ▪ Effective: It will reduce U.S. emissions at least 40 percent in the first 12 years and targets 90 percent reductions by 2050.
▪ Good
for people: It will improve health and save lives by reducing pollution
that Americans breathe. Additionally, the carbon dividend puts money
directly into people’s pockets every month to spend as they see fit. ▪ Good for the economy: It will create 2.1 million new jobs, thanks to economic growth in local communities. ▪ Bipartisan:
Republicans and Democrats are both on board as co-sponsors. Any bill
that hopes to gain passage in Congress must have bipartisan support. ▪ Revenue
neutral: The fees collected on carbon emissions will be allocated to
all Americans. The government keeps none of the money, so the size of
the government will not grow.
This legislation is garnering support from institutions and groups that have the ear of elected officials.
From the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:
“This bipartisan bill is a hopeful sign that more and more, climate
change is beginning to be seen as a crucial moral issue; one that
concerns all people ... At a time when the dangerous effects of climate
change are becoming increasingly apparent, the need for legislative
solutions like this is more urgent than ever.”
From Trout Unlimited: “Just as we learned in the
1990s that we had to move from the stream to the watershed scale to
recover trout and salmon, we must reduce carbon emissions to slow
climate change. For this reason, Trout Unlimited is supporting passage
of common sense legislation such as the Energy Innovation and Carbon
Dividend Act. The time for Band-Aids is past.”
Many members of Congress realize the “time for
Band-Aids is past,” and 30 of them have taken action by signing onto the
Energy Innovation Act.
Given the impact of climate change we’re seeing
here with wildfires and air quality, we hope that Congress members
Costa, Cox, Nunes, McClintock and McCarthy will co-sponsor H.R. 763. We
also hope that Sens. Feinstein and Harris will support similar
legislation in the Senate.
Following the outpouring of support for the first
Earth Day, Democrats and Republicans in Congress came together to enact
policies that protected the environment and made our lives better.
Likewise, Democrats and Republicans must now come together to enact
effective policies to prevent our climate from unraveling beyond the
point of no return. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act offers
the opportunity for that much-needed bipartisan collaboration.
Mark Reynolds is
executive director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Connie Young is the group
leader for the Fresno chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/op-ed/article229440324.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/op-ed/article229440324.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/op-ed/article229440324.html#storylink=cpy
Though true that climate change is a “new” issue
for adults, young people have heard about it their whole lives. And it’s
continually becoming more and more clear that it will be the younger
generations to finally get action; we don’t have time to wait around for
the powers that be to decide it’s worth doing something. Young people
around the world are demonstrating and demanding action on climate
change, as they should be!
As a student determined to get the action that we
need on climate change, I volunteer with the Fresno chapter of Citizens
Climate Lobby (CCL). This organization is working hard for a climate
solution, and is on its way to one with the bipartisan Energy Innovation
and Carbon Dividend Act being introduced to Congress. Being a part of
this organization has truly given me hope for the future of our planet.
So, to young people: You can be a part
of the solution! CCL and the students involved are paving the way for a
livable world. Young people are the future, and the future depends on
our nation reaching a climate solution.
Samantha Perez, Fresno
Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article228459884.html#storylink=cpy
In the Fresno Bee (March 13) a letter from Rod
Jenson pointed out his confusion about some of the statements made about
climate change; specifically, more droughts or more flooding? The
answer is that we will see both, and a lot more catastrophic events
caused by our production of atmospheric carbon. There will not only be
drought, but fires that will make 2018 seem like a friendly marshmallow
roast. There will be flooding the likes of which we have never seen. Sea
levels will rise, crop production will fall and millions will starve.
It is unfortunate that what we are now seeing as
the many aspects of global climate disruption originally were called
“global warming.” That made it seem pretty benign, as if we could cope
by no longer wearing long-sleeved shirts. Then we would get a freak
snowstorm in June somewhere and folks would run about saying “this can’t
be global warming, it is all a hoax!”
There will never again be a “new normal.” The
Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and natural environment are spinning out of
control, and we seem oblivious. There might be some hope if our
politicians embraced things like the Paris Climate Accord and the Green
New Deal, but I doubt that they will. Even if they do, and we somehow
immediately eliminate all fossil fuel production and use, worldwide, we
will see a 2-3 degree (C) increase in the global temperature. Even that
will be devastating, but maybe survivable.
Sometimes I am glad that I am 79 years old, but I cry for our children and grandchildren.
I appreciate the confusion Rod
Jenson expressed in his letter, (Flood or Drought? Climate Confusion,
March 13) wondering if climate change means we need to be prepared for
floods or for droughts. Unfortunately, we need to prepare for both, due
to “weather whiplash.”
Carbon dioxide and other gases
produced by burning oil and coal interfere with the radiant cooling of
the Earth. This greenhouse effect causes excess heat energy to build up
in the atmosphere and oceans. With more energy buildup, the normal
variations of weather will get supercharged. UCLA scientists predict
that the usual amount of rain will fall, but in a shorter period,
leading to severe flooding events. In California, this will be followed
by longer warm and dry seasons, creating conditions for bigger
wildfires.
It’s going to be expensive and
difficult to shore up our infrastructure, support our first responders,
cope with air pollution and adjust our land management policies. Experts
say we can still prevent some of the worst effects of climate change if
we transition to cleaner forms of energy. The Energy Innovation and
Climate Dividend Act has been proposed in the House. You can read how it
will help at EnergyInnovationsAct.org and tell your member of Congress.
Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article228007949.html#storylink=cpyhttps://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article228007949.html
Though true that climate change
is a “new” issue for adults, young people have heard about it their
whole lives. And it’s continually becoming more and more clear that it
will be the younger generations to finally get action; we don’t have
time to wait around for the powers that be to decide it’s worth doing
something. Young people around the world are demonstrating and demanding
action on climate change, as they should be!
As a student determined to get
the action that we need on climate change, I volunteer with the Fresno
chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL). This organization is working
hard for a climate solution, and is on its way to one with the
bipartisan Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act being introduced to
Congress. Being a part of this organization has truly given me hope for
the future of our planet.
So, to young people: You
can be a part of the solution! CCL and the students involved are paving
the way for a livable world. Young people are the future, and the
future depends on our nation reaching a climate solution.
March 4, 2019 Two Florida congressmen, a
Republican and a Democrat, recently introduced the Energy Innovation and
Carbon Dividend Act. It is projected to reduce carbon emissions by 40
percent in 12 years.
This bipartisan bill can be part
of either a conservative, market-based economic plan, or a progressive
reshaping of our economy promoted in the Green New Deal.
EICDA adds a price to carbon
fuels to encourage American families and businesses to reduce their
carbon footprint, but does not dictate how. Businesses can invest in
conservation and green energy, or pay the higher price for carbon fuels.
Farmers get a rebate for their equipment fuel. Government does not keep
the money; carbon dividends go to each household. Conservatives like
these features.
The Green New Deal combines green
businesses and jobs with guaranteed full employment, universal health
insurance, financial reform and other major changes. These ambitious
goals cannot pass until at least the 2020 elections, when progressives
hope to use them to win Congress and the White House.
EICDA would be a major step
towards the climate protection goals of the Green New Deal. But it could
pass in the current session, because it also fits into conservative
climate programs. Write your representative.
Which of the following entities
consists of radical environmentalists: NASA? The Pentagon? The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change? None of the above, of course!
But in a recent column, Cal Thomas labels those who believe we need to
stop greenhouse gas pollution, “part of the climate change cult.”
NASA, the Pentagon, and the IPCC
all identify heat-trapping gases from burning coal and oil as the cause
of climate change. They agree that climate change worsens wildfires, air
pollution and storms. They also agree it is causing rising oceans,
drought, crop damage, and even increased terrorism due to economic and
geographic instability.
How about Ronald Reagan’s
secretary of state, George Shultz, or Trent Lott, who both strongly
advocate legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Are they “tree
huggers”?
The Energy Innovation and Carbon
Dividend Act will soon be re-introduced in Congress. Reliable economists
say it will create millions of jobs and put dividend money directly in
Americans’ pockets. They report it will stimulate innovations that will
stop greenhouse gas buildup and prevent thousands of premature deaths
from air pollution. Please let your members of Congress know that you
want them to vote yes for this game-changing bill.
After attending yesterday's CARB meeting and, later on,
watching CCL’s webinar about the new bill, I was inspired to write the following
draft LTE.
If I submit it, I’d like to do it today, since it’s
time-sensitive and I’ll be at the NorCal conference this weekend.
Your feedback and suggestions for a strong closing
sentence would be welcome.
Connie
Thursday was a good day for our air quality and the
climate! Here in Fresno, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a
far-reaching PM 2.5 Plan that will help reduce the amount of dirty black carbon
from wood smoke and other sources that pollute our air and contribute to climate
change. Congratulations to CARB, our Valley Air District and the Central Valley
Air Quality Coalition (CVAQ) and many others for working together to create a
plan that will help clean up the air we breathe. Special thanks to CVAQ for
giving voice to the health concerns of valley residents.
On the same day, in Washington, the Energy Innovation
and Carbon Dividend Act (will add number if available before I submit) was
re-introduced in the US House of Representatives by Congressmen Francis Rooney
(R-FL ) and Ted Deutch (D-FL). This bipartisan climate bill will be good for
people and good for the economy while reducing the carbon emissions that are
fouling our air and driving climate change. We can all help get this bill passed
by asking Congressmen Costa, Cox and Nunes to support
it.
French President Emmanuel Macron has caused himself a
big, unnecessary headache. Recent and continuing anti-government demonstrations
have led to the worst violence in a decade, with more than 100 people injured as
cars and buildings have been set on fire. The violent protests have been
triggered by his trying to do the right thing (lowering greenhouse gas
emissions) but doing it the wrong way (raising fuel taxes).
If he’d simply taken a page from the play book of
Citizens Climate Lobby, Macron would be enjoying wide support now. CCL’s plan,
similar to bills recently introduced in the House and the Senate, taxes oil as
it comes out of the ground. All the money thus collected is given right back to
every American household. Citizens are free to spend their carbon tax windfall
any way they wish. Who would protest that?
