To the editor:
Kansas’ continued severe drought and 27 days of temperatures of 100 or higher degrees this summer could be a taste of what is coming. Climate change models forecast prolonged droughts and higher nighttime temperatures in western Kansas. Average temperatures are projected to increase statewide by 3 degrees in summer and 4 degrees in fall and winter. Extreme weather — droughts, super-storms, wild swings in temperatures — will become more common.
That is why it is critical to reduce carbon dioxide emissions now. The Save our Climate Act (H.R. 3242) would efficiently place a fee on carbon-based fuels starting at $10/ton of CO2 and increasing annually by an additional $10/ton. This would move investment toward clean energy and energy efficiency and reduce U.S. emissions by an estimated 25 percent by 2020. By returning 80 percent of revenues to consumers, households would be shielded from the economic impact of rising energy costs.
The City Commission can join 40 cities such as Kansas City, Mo., in passing the Clean Air Cities model ordinance, which urges the Environmental Protection Agency to use the Clean Air Act to reduce atmospheric carbon to 350 parts per million — the level needed to avoid catastrophic climate change. Finally, the commission can also adopt a climate change action plan to reduce carbon emissions in the city by 25 percent. There is still a chance to reduce the impact of global warming if we act now.