Dear Editor,
Midterm elections are looming, and that means political hot air is spewing left and right (pun intended). One topic seems to be a notable hot potato – climate change. Sure, politicians may allude to it obliquely, such as when they reference the environmental costs of AI and data centers or in discussing increased gas and oil production for ‘energy dominance’. Rarely are direct references to the need for sharp, urgent climate action made by any political candidate.
Such an approach is clearly misguided. The buzzword of the day is ‘affordability’, and climate change is making everything less affordable. Insurance premiums are up as disasters increase in frequency and intensity; gas prices spike as we realize that we’re all a hostage to the dirty flow of fossil fuels through the Strait of Hormuz; cooling costs are through the roof as summer becomes hotter and longer.
The term ‘climate change’ or ‘global warming’ has lost a lot of its potency over the years, but the need for action and advocacy is more immediate than ever. Politicians would do well to recognize the fingerprints of climate change over many issues on their respective political platforms. I would urge all voters to consider their candidate’s record on the environmental or climate policies when they cast their ballot this November.
Sincerely, Nathan Dombeck Janesville, WI