Congressman John Curtis recently held a “walking town hall” to the top of Mount Timpanogos, and I had the pleasure of joining him and his other constituents. The views were exhilarating, as they were when I hiked it in the 1960s and ’70s. However, back then the highlight of the hike was always the slide down the large snowfield above Emerald Lake. Unfortunately, that is no longer possible without special equipment and increased risk because the snowfield has long shrunken to disconnected patches of snow.
Record-breaking heat waves are reported throughout the West, including Utah, this season. Our skies have been hazy with air in the unhealthy range, attributed to abundant wildfires in Utah and neighboring states. A growing body of evidence and scientific opinion attribute these changes to our warming climate.
Instead of just lamenting the changes, let's address the bigger picture and do something to protect our snowpack, water supply, air quality and healthy forests. Studies have shown that a revenue neutral fee on carbon can greatly reduce the degree to which our earth is warming while both protecting the economy and reducing regulations. Please urge your legislators to address preserving our life-sustaining climate.
David Ryser
Sandy