Dear Editor:
On January 15, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the recent decade was the hottest ever recorded, caused largely by burning fossil fuels, which increases greenhouse gases (GHGs) in Earth’s atmosphere, leading to more disasters. While evidence of a global climate crisis increases, some political appointees in Washington are weakening or repealing regulations that will save us money and improve health. According to the Environmental Integrity Project these actions are impacting rules on clean water, coal plant waste, smog, GHGs from vehicles and power plants, methane pollution and more.
Unlike the U.S. government, according to the Associated Press, the European Union announced planned investments of $1.1 trillion “toward making the EU’s economy more environmentally friendly over the next 10 years.” Last November, the Wall Street Journal reported the European Investment Bank “would end financing for fossil-fuel energy projects from the end of 2021 onward… as the EU readies for its version of the Green New Deal.” The huge investment firm BlackRock recently joined Climate Action 100+, the world’s largest group of about 370 investors (by assets) which is pressuring companies to act on climate change. Also, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce now supports addressing climate change.
With our government acting negatively, many others in the public and private sectors are acting positively. Please contact your elected representatives, especially those in Washington and Montgomery. Urge them to take positive action.
David Newton
Auburn
