To the editor:
Throughout our history it has taken people marching in the streets and demanding change to get the government to take action on important issues. If you haven’t yet, now is the time to act on climate change.
Sept. 20-21 is the weekend to stand up for our climate. All across the country people will be gathering in rallies and marches to demand action against climate change.
The heartbeat of this weekend will be the People’s Climate March in New York City on Sunday. It will be the largest climate march ever (watchdisruption.com).
Locally, there are also two events. On Saturday, Sept. 20 there is an action called the Climate Knows No Borders at Peach Arch Park near the Canadian border. On Sunday, there is a People’s Climate rally planned in Westlake Center in Seattle.
We can no longer wait for the government to initiate action to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gasses; we have been waiting and nothing substantial has been done! So make a plan to stand up for the climate and a healthy planet for our grandchildren.
In addition to the actions in September, there are two more critical things you can do to help move our elected officials toward action. First, we can support Jay Inslee’s proactive climate initiatives by helping to elect congressional officials in Washington state that care about climate change. The state Senate is blocking progress due to the presence of climate change deniers.
Washington has the opportunity to be a model for the country in moving toward renewables and away from fossil fuels. Our Bainbridge Island representatives are great, but we need three more Washington Senate seats to give Jay the support he needs. The Sierra PAC is working to get those three seats so you can support them. And don’t forget to vote!
The other thing you can do is to join one (or both) of the two organizations on the island actively working on this issue.
Climate Action Bainbridge is working on local issues such as reducing our use of coal and preventing trains [who] carry very volatile crude oil through Seattle (remember what happened in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec?). And the newly formed Bainbridge Citizens Climate Lobby group is working to get carbon fee and dividend legislation through the U.S. Congress similar to that which is working well in B.C.
As Jay Inslee so eloquently stated in “Years of Living Dangerously”: “We’re the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it.”
So don’t postpone your involvement. We need everyone on board. We are all busy, but we must find the time to act for our children and their children.
PEGGI ERICKSON
Bainbridge Island
