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To the Journal editor:
As most citizens are well aware, extreme weather events--heat, drought, fires, and floods--have become all too common. So anyone undecided about who to vote for in the upcoming November election should consider which candidates show knowledge of, and leadership on, climate change.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicates the concentration of carbon dioxide (which is released when fossil fuels are burned) reached an all time high of 427 parts per million in May 2024 at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. An analysis of the air bubbles trapped in ice indicates these levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere are higher than they have been at any time in at least 1,000,000 years.
Furthermore, NOAA has reported an annual record of 28 weather-related disasters in the U.S. that caused at least $1 billion in damage in 2023. Deadly and massively destructive events like the recent Hurricane Helene have been no less frequent or costly in 2024.
Along with making our electric grid more efficient and resilient, we need public policies that aid in the transition away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro.
While effective federal representatives are important, our local and state representatives must be working just as hard toward the same goal. So when you vote in November, choose a candidate who is informed, concerned, and proposing actual solutions for the problem of climate change.
Patti Clancy
Marquette