Letter: Are you tired of the smoke yet?

Are you tired of the smoke yet? Are you sick from the smoke yet? This is a taste of what’s in store for us, except there will be more smoke from burning forests, along with more extreme heat, intense storms, droughts, floods, disease, dying oceans, and probably wars. All the result of climate change. The National Intelligence Council said that climate change presents risks to stability (global competition for natural resources), human health and food supplies.

This year’s National Climate Assessment — the report from scientists in 13 federal agencies — states that greenhouse gases from fossil fuel use, are primarily responsible for climate change. Stabilizing the global mean temperature increase to 2 degrees C, beyond which change becomes catastrophic, requires reductions in carbon dioxide.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis wrote that climate change is a challenge that requires a broader, whole-of-government response. For a bipartisan government response, ask Congressman Dan Newhouse to join the Climate Solutions Caucus (current members: 26 Republicans & 26 Democrats), to enact policy to improve our health and the economy by transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy. And thank Newhouse for co-sponsoring increased funds for fire suppression. We’re going to need it.

This story was originally published August 12, 2017 at 9:25 PM with the headline "Letter: Are you tired of the smoke yet?."