LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Maintaining a livable climate

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Submitted by Anders Hart

As students, we’re looking forward to the future—many of us are starting businesses, careers, and families. But what kind of future are we going to have, knowing that the climate is rapidly changing? How can we plan for our careers and families if the climate no longer supports the quality of life we’re used to? Deadly heat waves, failing crop yields, tens of millions of people fleeing places like Florida, and wildfire smoke all year long are not hypotheticals if we don’t reduce emissions. It’s not fun to think about these scenarios — I definitely don’t like thinking about them. But it’s the reality that’s barreling toward us. The older generation has failed to solve this problem, so it falls to us. We need new technologies, news ways to reduce our consumption, and we need to vote for candidates who take maintaining a livable climate seriously.

Anders Hart is a senior studying Conservation and Restoration Ecology.