Your Opinion: Response on climate change

Dear Editor:

In a letter published in the News Tribune on March 27, Nelson Otto challenged my concerns about climate change with typical climate denier misinformation. Climate scientists are extremely concerned that the world has experienced the two hottest years since modern temperature record keeping began in 1880, and that February experienced the most unusual global warmth for any month on record.

In letters to the editor, I'd emphasized my concern for how climate change will affect, not my generation, but future generations. My concern is for my children, grandchildren, former students and children being born now.

At the Paris conference in December 2015, 196 countries agreed to reduce CO2 levels to prevent the severe effects of climate change, which will not be reversible if the current rate of pollution continues. Perhaps I can influence citizens of Missouri to encourage Congressman Luetkemeyer and Senators McCaskill and Blunt to honor our nation's Paris pledge to reduce emissions.

I hope Otto's class on spotting scams included the scam that fossil fuel companies have been allowed to use our atmosphere as a free dumping ground for CO2. The revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend proposed by Citizens Climate Lobby stops the free dumping. The revenue will be returned as a dividend equally to all households because we all experience the cost of pollution to our health and climate.

Members of Citizens' Climate Lobby will be happy to present our proposal before any group interested in learning how we can reduce harmful CO2 emissions. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Otto suggested I invest in companies to influence reduction in CO2 levels. My teacher's retirement and widow's pension could not begin to compete with the influence of fossil fuel industries. It will take citizens willing to speak up, write letters and vote for climate action.

I'm doing my part!