Fresno CCL Letters to the Editor

Monday, July 16, 2018

Patricia Reeves - 7-5-2018 - Climate change the real deal

Climate change the real deal

July 5, 2018

President Donald Trump has announced that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris climate change accords – an international agreement to curb greenhouse gas emission. This decision must be challenged. If the evidence on climate change followed one line of inquiry, I too might be skeptical. There is, however, a convergence of evidence following many lines of inquiry – corals, polar ice caps, carbon dioxide increases, tree rings, increased rate of temperature and more.
Bipartisan conversations are a crucial step toward any significant climate legislation. I’m happy to point out that the Climate Solutions Caucus in Congress is made up of 41 Democrats and 41 Republicans who are exploring this most important issue. Please call your member of Congress and ask him to consider joining this caucus. We can’t afford to ignore the evidence.

Patricia Reeves, Fresno
https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article214283574.html

Samantha Perez - 6-29-2018 - Op Ed - Fresno City student learns valuable lesson: She makes a difference on climate change

Valley Voices

Fresno City student learns valuable lesson: She makes a difference on climate change

By Samantha Perez

We were feeling small, waiting outside the office door. We had planned what we wanted to discuss during this meeting, but still, the three of us students felt, in that moment, very much like students. We were nervous, and unsure of how the meeting would go. None of us had lobbied before, let alone on Capitol Hill. And here we were standing outside the office of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
When we went inside, we were, to our surprise, greeted by a familiar face. The intern at the office was a Fresno State student, the president of the campus’ Republican group. We had flown across the country to lobby our representatives, and we still ran into someone we know from back home in Fresno. Laughing at this encounter, we were suddenly put at ease, and the meeting started off on a good note.
Rob Jeffers, a student from Fresno State, Emily Salazar, a student from Roosevelt High School, and I, a Fresno City College student, had traveled to attend the Citizens Climate Lobby International Conference and Lobby Day. Over 1,200 people, Democrats and Republicans from all 50 states, attended the conference. It was astounding to see so many people committed to making a difference for a more livable world.
As a volunteer for the Fresno chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, climate change is an important issue to me. Though often seen as a liberal platform, climate change is something that is affecting all of us. As a student and young person, I am concerned with the future of our planet, and I fear that it will take our representatives too long to enact legislation to prevent climate change.
At this conference, however, I was given new cause for optimism. So many people were there to make a difference, working together to achieve a policy that will decrease carbon use. And many of these people were students like myself, working beyond political party for a cause that affects all of us. At this conference, climate change was not an issue for liberals. Young Republicans and Democrats were there in agreement that we need to come together to end climate change. It was testimony that people are willing to work together to solve climate change, for the sake of our planet, and for the sake of ourselves.

During the conference, a mixer was held for the student attendees. Rob, Emily, and I met a student from Yale. The next day at the conference, this student along with another from Harvard had a panel discussion on Students for Carbon Dividend (S4CD), a student coalition supporting carbon dividends as a climate solution. Seeing these students succeed in bringing together Republican and Democrat college groups for a climate solution was truly inspiring. This was a student just like us, with whom we had joked around with the day before, leading a national bipartisan coalition of students dedicated to climate action. Emily, Rob, and I felt that this was one of the most important things that we took away from the conference: Young people, of the generation who will be most affected by climate change, are working together for a climate solution, to show the decision makers of our country that we need action now. This is showing our government that a bipartisan solution is possible.
With the Fourth of July coming up, I think it is appropriate to think about the independence and future of our country. We are capable of become increasingly independent, moving away from reliance on carbon that pollutes our world and degrades our lives. Enacting a carbon fee and dividend policy will allow us to become independent of carbon, leading to a healthier world and better future. And as Americans, we all have the ability to stand up and ask our representatives to act, to make a change. This conference encouraged me more than ever to continue to work toward change with people who may hold different beliefs than my own. Encouraging companies to lessen their carbon footprint by putting a fee on carbon, and returning that fee to American households, will benefit all Americans by leading us to a livable place.

Samantha Perez is a Fresno City College student majoring in sustainability.

Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article214080074.html#storylink=cpy

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article214080074.html

Andrea Farber De Zubiria - June 04, 2018 - When it comes to climate change, GOP and Democrat members of Congress work together

When it comes to climate change, GOP and Democrat members of Congress work together

It’s been on my mind: your article about terrifying encounters recorded on bodycams as police evacuated residents from last years’ wildfires in Northern California. Warmer weather is coming and with it, more huge fires. Many of our public servants and our neighbors will be in the line of danger, and we will all have to deal with the toxic air.
The massive fires are caused by a variety of factors. Experts cite issues with land management and urban development, combined with changes in weather patterns that lead to lots of dry, combustible fuel. The changes in weather patterns are caused by human activities that produce carbon. Even NASA says “there is no question that increased levels of greenhouse gases must cause the Earth to warm in response. “
One ray of hope: There are 39 Republican and 39 Democratic members of Congress working together in a Climate Solutions Caucus. Ideally these leaders will create legislation to put a fee on carbon production. This will stimulate clean technology innovation and job growth, while addressing climate change. Our region is vulnerable. Why haven’t members of Congress from the Central Valley joined the Climate Solutions Caucus?

Andrea Farber De Zubiria
Fresno

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212522609.html

Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212522609.html#storylink=cpy

Monday, June 4, 2018

Connie Young - 6-1-2018 - Let’s focus on environmental devastation and climate change and impact on the poor

Let’s focus on environmental devastation and climate change and impact on the poor

June 01, 2018 02:16 PM

During the week of June 4th, a revival of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign will focus on environmental devastation and climate change. Why would poor people care about those things?
One need look no farther than Fresno County for the answer. Some of our poor rural communities still lack access to clean drinking water and remain at risk of pesticide exposure. We all must contend with polluted air and unacceptable rates of childhood asthma.
As for climate change, people with limited health care and other resources are disproportionately affected by rising temperatures. Heat waves can worsen air pollution, which is especially harmful to those with heart and lung illnesses. Unusual changes in rain and snowfall resulting in drought and less snowpack can result in job losses for seasonal workers. For folks without air conditioning or swimming pools, heat waves can be unbearable.
Rev. Dr. King once said, “It would be foolhardy for me to work for integrated schools or integrated lunch counters and not be concerned about the survival of the world in which to be integrated.” Amen, Rev. King….Amen!

Connie Young, Fresno

http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212372934.html

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212372934.html#storylink=cpy

Matt Armstrong - 5-30-2018 - GOP members secretly admit climate change is real

GOP members secretly admit climate change is real

Jim Bridenstine, the former Oklahoma congressman turned NASA administrator, has long been a climate change denier, and it appears that he was picked to run NASA in large part because of this. It was surprising then that during a “town hall” style talk to NASA employees he flatly admitted that greenhouse gases cause climate change and that humans are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. This isn’t surprising, as he likely has known the truth all along, but decided to act otherwise while in Congress for the purpose of appealing to donors who prefer to hide the truth. It has long been reported that Republican members of Congress will openly admit to the realities of climate change when out of sight of the press. It is time for politicians to admit that there are workable bipartisan solutions, such as carbon pricing, that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The public needs to hold reality-denying politicians accountable so that they begin to act in a responsible manner, otherwise we will all be the poorer for it.

Matt Armstrong, Fresno

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212232559.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212232559.html

Andrea De Zubiria - May 2018 - California Wild Fires - unpublished

California Wild Fires

Your article about terrifying encounters recorded on bodycams as police evacuated residents from last years’ wildfires in Northern California, was on my mind all day. Warmer weather is coming and with it, a high probability of more California fires. Many of our public servants and our neighbors will be in the line of danger, and we will all have to deal with the toxic air.

The massive fires are caused by a variety of factors. Experts site issues with land management and urban development, combined with changes in weather patterns that lead to lots of dry combustible fuel .

The changes in weather patterns are caused by human activities that produce carbon. Even NASA says “there is no question that increased levels of greenhouse gases must cause the Earth to warm in response. “

One ray of hope: as of this week, there are 39 Republican and 39 Democratic members of Congress working together in a Climate Solutions Caucus. Ideally these leaders will create legislation to put a fee on carbon production. This will stimulate clean technology innovation and job growth while addressing climate change.

Why haven’t members of Congress from the Central Valley joined the Climate Solutions Caucus?

Andrea De Zubiria

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Andrea Farber De Zubiria - March 9, 2018 - Climate Change Solutions Caucus draws bipartisan support

Climate Change Solutions Caucus draws bipartisan support

I appreciated the informative article March 4 about the strategies recommended for local farmers to adapt to climate change. As you point out, our milder winters and warmer temperatures create a better habitat for pests, but a worse habitat for growing grapes, apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines and other important crops in the Valley.
Along with modifying agricultural practices as a way to adapt, I hope you will tell readers about a bipartisan Congressional caucus working toward policies that can actually limit climate change. The Climate Solutions Caucus already has 35 Republican and 35 Democratic members of Congress working on an economically viable solution to the production of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change..
Please let your representatives in Congress know that you want them to sign on to the Climate Solutions Caucus.
I urge journalists and readers to learn about the carbon fee and dividend proposal at www.CitizensClimateLobby.
Protect agriculture and the Valley’s ability to feed us and our nation. We need real action on the changing climate now.

Andrea Farber De Zubiria
Fresno

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article204141114.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article204141114.html

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article204141114.html#storylink=cpy