Climate fight falls to Republicans, too

I was delighted to read Emil Frankel’s oped, “It’s time for Republicans to lead (again) on climate.”

Climate change is not a partisan issue: we will all suffer the floods and droughts and wildfires, regardless of political affiliation. Just as the Senate voted recently to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia, it can vote to stop the continual weakening of our environmental laws.

In private, Republican lawmakers are concerned about global warming. It’s a serious security threat, as National Intelligence reports and the Department of Defense have told us, every bit as serious as supporting wars and countries we believe are wrong. People will die of starvation due to droughts. They will die in hurricanes, in extreme heat, and from illnesses following those weather events — especially children, elderly individuals and people who live in poverty.

There is a bill already in the House, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, that would be a major step in reducing our use of fossil fuels. It doesn’t increase the size of government, doesn’t put a lot of restrictions on businesses and uses market forces to encourage the move to renewable energy. In other times, Republicans would gladly support a bill of this type.

I hope there are Republicans who take Mr. Frankel’s words to heart. We need everyone to work together on meeting this challenge to human and planetary survival. Jo Ann Flaum

Westport