Queries for Congress

If I could talk one-to-one with my Arkansas senators and representatives, these are the questions I would explore: Why do you hate your grandchildren? Why do you oppose all efforts to avoid the global catastrophe that is climate change? Is it worth campaign contributions to betray future generations? Is it worth a plush future job as a lobbyist to betray future generations? Is it worth acceptance into a clique of ideological and misinformed colleagues to betray future generations?

When I write you to plead for your vote for bills to reduce pollution, your answers are predictable. Why do you claim economic and job losses without considering the vastly greater economic and job losses that will result from climate change? When will the total economic and human consequences enter your equation? When will the specter of a global migration that dwarfs today’s migration enter your consciousness?

Are we doomed because Congress can only behave like petulant children? Are we doomed because of a knee-jerk reaction to oppose anything put forward by the president? Are we doomed because of a lack of intellectual capacity to understand what our leading scientists are saying? Are we doomed because of the fraudulent misrepresentations of a group of corporations that promote climate-change denial?

Today I am asking you to approve the Paris COP21 agreement, to urge further reductions in greenhouse gasses, to pledge more funds to climate mitigation and aid to affected nations, and to investigate and hold accountable those corporations and institutions that were aware of climate change and promoted denial to deceive the public.

AL BROOKS

Waldron