Hitting the snooze button just feels good. But it often comes with a tinge of guilt for delaying the inevitable. We all know, no matter how many times we hit the snooze button, we eventually must wake up and do something.
NASA recently reported that our planet has just experienced monthly temperature records for 12 consecutive months. The last 10 consecutive years being the warmest 10 since record-keeping began in the late 19th century. That’s a long snooze.
Furthermore, ocean water temperatures have also set records for the last 10 years. These record water temperatures create massive, life-threatening hurricanes like Helene and Milton. In addition to the tens of billions of dollars in damage, massive loss of life, these events create many other hardships for American families.
Fox Business reports: “Home insurance is even more expensive in states plagued by severe weather… the frequency and severity of destructive weather events have increased, as more areas are considered high risk and unprofitable for insurance companies.” This is impacting millions of families in Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, Kansas and other states.
Global greenhouse gas emissions hit a record 57 gigatons last year. Despite good progress in clean energy, according to a recent United Nations report we are still consuming a record-level of fossil fuels.
The majority of Americans, including young Americans, think we need to take action to address climate change. It is time we make our voices heard and make democracy work at the ballot box now. The candidate research is easy to do. Please don’t hit the snooze button. Take a few minutes to make informed decisions regarding the health of our families, community and our planet.
Andrew Watt, Sandy
