OPINION:
According to Michael McKenna, with severe blackouts and a global pandemic American voters are not worried about global warming, but are instead worried about maintaining affordable energy (“Voters care about affordable energy, not climate change,” Web, April 24). What Mr. McKenna fails to recognize is that global pandemics and the extreme weather events that cause energy failures are directly related to climate change.
Not only that, but these events are likely to occur even more frequently in the future as the climate crisis becomes more severe. Hence, Mr. McKenna is actually affirming a growing concern for the impacts of climate change among the American people.
Affordable energy is not as high on the list of Americans’ priorities as Mr. McKenna suggests. Climate change will adversely affect the U.S. economy, costing us at least $224 billion annually in health and infrastructure damages. Climate-related disasters have already cost the U.S. $500 billion in the past five years.
I invite Mr. McKenna, along with hesitant policy makers, to be a bit more forward-thinking about climate policy. While mitigation efforts will obviously cost us now, they are essential to protecting the American people and economy in the future.
RACHEL PITSENBERGER
Bethesda, Md.
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