To all Utah voters:
We go to the polls in a couple of months. When we do, let us not forget this summer and the permanent emergency we are now under that goes by the mild name “climate change.”
Do not forget the smoky skies that block out mountains, turn the sun into a red disc and bring soot into the lungs of children. Do not forget the burned forests and homes, and lost income of many who make their living by tourism. Do not forget the Utahn who lost his life fighting these heat- and drought-caused fires in California.
Most urgently, do not ignore the voting record of your elected officials, at the state and federal level. Ask them about their stand on climate change and whether they support a tax on carbon. Ask them what they plan to do now to help America reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Hold their feet to this fire that threatens us in an ongoing, permanent emergency.
Jean Cheney, Salt Lake City
