On June 23, 1988, NASA climate scientist James Hansen presented his testimony to the United States Senate affirming that climate change was occurring, and that warming was likely caused by humans. Hansen was right, and since then the catastrophes have relentlessly accumulated.
Now, more than 34 years later, we suffer storms such as Typhoon Merbok and Hurricane Ian because we have not acted to control warming. In the U.S., action was prevented by congressional Republicans — and some Democrats, like Joe Manchin — and Republican presidents who refused to act or who blocked action: the younger George Bush, Donald Trump. The climate portion of the Inflation Reduction Act is decades late.
Republicans talk a lot about personal responsibility. It is certainly true that inaction is a form of action, just as not deciding is a form of deciding. Hurricane Ian should never have occurred as it did, and I would like to see some responsibility shouldered here, or at least some truth-telling. Of course that will not happen, but voters could push the issue. If you want to guarantee that our situation will get even worse than it is, vote for Kelly Tshibaka, Sarah Palin, Nick Begich and Mike Dunleavy.
— Clarence Crawford
Anchorage
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