Thank you for running the editorial “Scientists to Trump: Global warming is real” (Daily Camera, Aug. 10). It’s concerning to hear that some scientists fear their part of the National Climate Assessment won’t be released, as written, by the Trump administration. I hope they are wrong. Scientists in 13 federal agencies prepared the report, and they concluded that Americans are already feeling the effects of human-caused climate change. As originally reported in the New York Times, “The authors note that thousands of studies, conducted by tens of thousands of scientists, have documented climate changes on land and in the air. ‘Many lines of evidence demonstrate that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse (heat-trapping) gases, are primarily responsible for recent observed climate change,’ they wrote.” The National Academy of Scientists has approved the draft, and the scientists are waiting for the administration’s permission to release it.
Climate change appears to remain at a partisan impasse in Washington. However, there are quiet shifts along this partisan divide, most notably the growth of the bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus. With membership now at 26 Republicans and 26 Democrats, this caucus is actively collaborating to develop climate change solutions. In addition, in a recent House vote, 46 Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting an anti-climate change amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill. These events aren’t often reported in newspapers, but they are important indicators of shifts in partisanship on climate change.
Fortunately, there is a market-based legislative proposal to reduce CO2 emissions that should appeal to both parties. A national revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend program would reduce CO2 emissions by 52 percent after 20 years, relative to the baseline, while also adding jobs and growing our economy. Passage of this legislation would be a powerful step toward slowing global warming and its growing impacts on American communities.
Susan Secord
Boulder
