EDITOR:

I’m writing to urge your readers to call our U.S. Representative Jack Bergman to ask him to co-sponsor H.R. 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, on Nov. 6, a national call day promoted by the Citizens’ Climate Lobby group. Passage of this bi-partisan, revenue-neutral legislation will encourage a transition to clean, renewable energy sources and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are responsible for a dangerous human-caused climate change that is causing more costly weather-related disasters and a warming world. I also hope your readers will contact our Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters and ask them to co-sponsor this legislation when the bill is reintroduced in the Senate.

The great majority of the most qualified atmospheric and earth scientists believe human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and other activities are responsible for a dangerous climate change/global warming and that urgent action to reduce our footprint is necessary to avoid the worst impacts. In fact, the five warmest years on record in terms of global average temperature since 1880 have all occurred since 2014 per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA also reports July 2019 is the warmest July (and thus month) since 1880 and September 2019 is tied with September 2015 as the warmest ninth month on record.

The change in atmospheric circulation patterns as well as increased atmospheric water vapor concentrations related to this overall warming atmosphere will also result in a higher probability of extreme weather occurrences, both flooding and drought in addition to more heat waves/occasional periods of very cold weather. The higher probability of the occurrence of these extreme weather events will require expensive responses that exacerbate budget deficits. Additionally, the accompanying poleward spread of disease will exacerbate health care and environmental expenses. A report recently issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change also stated human-caused climate change is enhancing the extinction of wildlife.

I encourage your readers to call Rep Jack Bergman as well as Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters on Nov. 6 by going to cclusa.org/call and following the listed scripts to encourage them to support H.R. 763 and take action to slow this dangerous climate change.

Kevin Crupi

Marquette