Climate change alarm now a roar; GOP fails to listen

The Northwest United States has seen record temperature spikes, numbers reaching triple digits. Hospitals have been overburdened by sheer amounts of patients suffering from heat-related illnesses, all while the COVID -19 pandemic continues. Washington hospitals even turned to body bags filled with ice and cold water as one solution to decrease body heat from dangerous temperatures.

Americans have long seen the effects of climate change. Wildfires rage across western states at least once a year, low rainfall and intense flooding have become normal, and Florida is experiencing another year of red tide with 600 tons of dead fish littering beaches.

The alarm that indicates climate change has not turned off for decades. It has grown in intensity to a deafening blare warning of more to come — more heat, more disasters, more death.

And yet Americans are still thinking that “snooze” is an option. Senate Democrats introduced a $3.5 trillion plan that affords money to climate change among other causes. It will require 51 votes to pass, a nail-biting challenge as it would involve all Democrats on board, a task becoming steadily more difficult with Sen. Joe Manchin indicating concerns and midterms possibly upsetting majorities in Congress.

The United States has been hit over and over and over again with climate disasters and now with the blare of the alarm louder than an air horn, lawmakers are standing in the way of efforts to reverse these effects, effectively signing responsibility for the climate phenomenons to come.

Alex Gaboury

Averill Park