Letter to the Editor

Regarding Climate Change

Dear Editor,

Bravo to the Winthrop Transcript Staff for their editorial: “Another Sign of Climate Change” 3/22/19. Global climate change is indeed accelerating at a faster rate than predicted. Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz of the Yale Climate Project sums up climate change in 10 words: “It’s real; it’s us; it’s bad; scientists agree; there’s hope.”

The Transcript mentions the recent unprecedented flooding in the heart of our nation’s bread basket. Food production is at risk. Not only that, our wine and coffee production is at risk. I am ready to act on that alone!

As the Transcript notes: The costs of climate change devastation, if we do not change our ways immediately, far outweigh the costs of implementing green energy measures. Yes. It is about our health—our economy—our children’s future.

We must transition justly to renewable energy-wind, solar, geothermal, etc.  There is much we can do individually—decrease plastic, decrease waste, promote energy efficiency, electric vehicles, heat pumps, advocate for carbon pricing, etc. One thing we all can do today is “green up” our electricity. National Grid, via Green Energy Consumers, provides all my electricity that is 100% generated by wind. It is easy to make the switch.

Finally, as Dr. Michael Mann says: “The single biggest way to have an impact on climate change is through collective pressure on policymakers to act in our interests rather than special interests.” We must hold our legislators accountable.

Thank you so much for your ardent advocacy and please lets have more.

Suzanne Hitchcock-Bryan, RN, MPH