Sink or swim: Act now to save Dorchester County

Health. It’s on everyone’s mind in Maryland, from Montgomery County, where I live, to Dorchester County, where I like to go for peace and quiet. But the prevalence of COVID-19 in Dorchester isn’t the only thing that’s rising.

As residents there know, the pandemic and its economic devastation are playing out against the backdrop of rising sea levels, which threaten the health and viability of Dorchester County itself (“Maryland’s Dorchester County is washing away, leaving its residents with hard choices,” August 19).

That is why Maryland needs to invest now in programs that will address climate change and create jobs. We should enact laws and set policies to make Maryland carbon-neutral by 2035. We also should invest in programs to make Chesapeake communities resilient in the face of rising sea levels, to close what scientists and policymakers call the “resilience gap.” Governor Hogan and state legislators will have the backing of voters.

According to a 2018 study by Yale University, a clear majority of Marylanders, including those in Dorchester County, want their state and local leaders to act.

Climate change is not just an environmental issue. For the people of Dorchester County, and for all Marylanders, it’s about jobs and security and a way of life. It’s about health and home and family. Things we all care about, regardless of our politics or our race or our income. Climate change is already costing Dorchester and other Chesapeake communities dearly.

The cost will keep rising, right along with the sea level, if we don’t act now.