Letter: White House should listen to people on climate change

April in Paris, a year ago, saw the first international agreement of its kind to address climate change by curbing greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. pledged to reduce its emissions by 26 percent by the year 2025, based on 2005 levels.

We have read many interesting articles about the pros and cons of this agreement in the Tri-City Herald, but little was said about the public opinion on the subject. A nationally representative survey was actually conducted after the November election by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communications and the results are encouraging. It turns out a majority (69 percent) of voters want U.S. participation in the Paris Agreement, against 13 percent who oppose it. Among Trump voters, the percentages are 47 percent in favor, 28 percent against it.

With looming U.S. withdrawal, it is worth stressing the consequences of climate inaction. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), “doing nothing will cost more than acting” when it comes to the projected costs of climate mitigation, as well as the projected costs of damage due to climate change impact everywhere in the world.

Let us hope the White House decision reflects the will of the people.

This story was originally published May 26, 2017 at 7:40 PM with the headline "Letter: White House should listen to people on climate change."