It is easy to be discouraged by the oppressive heat as temperatures in Utah and across the globe continued to smash record highs, but I think it is important to look at the silver lining. We should cherish this season, despite our perpetual “excessive heat warnings,” it is likely to be one of the coolest summers of the rest of our lives.
Another bright side to help you through this particularly sweaty September is that we can control how extreme future summers are going to be. I applaud the interfaith leaders highlighted in the Deseret News article “Interfaith work is moving beyond dialogue and entering ... the climate scene?” who are raising their voices and taking action. But if we are going to push the needle and save future summers, each of us needs to join the call for significant policies.
One plan found to be particularly promising is a carbon fee and dividend that uses market forces at the scale needed to help in our fight. As we savor the coolest summer of the rest of our lives, let’s mobilize and support leaders, businesses, policies and lifestyle choices that nudge the dial down on our warming world.
Jared Lounsbury-Decker
St. George