Dear Editor,
There is at least one factor common to the exodus of people of Central America to the U.S., the civil war in Syria and the fleeing of residents of the Sahel in Africa to Europe. That factor is drought, which scientists report has been worsened by human caused climate change, resulting from the burning of fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas.
For example, on April 2, the PBS Newshour reported that farmers in Honduras suffered significant loses of coffee and corn (maize), leaving them financially destitute and hungry. Many have chosen to travel north to the U.S. border and surrender to the U.S. Border Patrol.
Such migrations will surely increase, if we don’t reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. Polling indicates voters are ready to do this. However, the deniers in the U.S. Congress, including our Congressman Mike Rogers, continue to resist legislative action. Rogers recently stated that the climate has always been changing. Apparently, he rejects the fact that humans have a role in increased levels of GHGs in the atmosphere. We have known for 150 years that carbon dioxide causes heat to be retained in our air. There is simply no significant source of the increasing amount of GHGs other than the burning of fossil fuels. Congressman Rogers and others who think like him must reverse course and help solve this serious problem. They should support H.R. 763, Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2019. You can look it up at congress.gov.
David Newton
Auburn