Crazy!
That’s the most common adjective I’ve heard to describe the unprecedented heat during the first week of September. While it has seemed crazy, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Scientists have warned for over 30 years that our continued greenhouse gas additions to the atmosphere would create record heat.
Fortunately, we are starting to see climate solutions from individuals, businesses and elected leaders. The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act is an important example. Yet overall we are far from eliminating carbon emissions. As a state we’re still in a historic drought, witnessing a disappearing Great Salt Lake, and experiencing declining snowpacks. To reach zero carbon emissions, we need to build on current successes.
What do our members of Congress propose as next steps?
On Sept. 26 you will have an opportunity to hear from four of them: incumbent Republican Reps. John Curtis and Blake Moore, and their Democratic challengers, Glenn Wright and Rick Jones. They will speak at a town hall on climate change in the Salt Lake Library Auditorium from 6 to 7:30 p.m. You can register to attend the event in-person at tinyurl.com/UTclimate-Townhall, or online at bit.ly/climate_panel.
I hope you let the record temperatures you recently experienced heat up your passion for learning and supporting political action to address our changing climate.
David Folland
Sandy