Bean fails to lead on global warming

As a very environmentally concerned citizen, I have been disappointed about how silent Melissa Bean has been on the problem of global warming.

The jury is in: Climate change is happening, humans are to blame and we must act to stop it now or our children will pay for our generation's failure.

Yet, while Bean has made many a promise this campaign season, she has failed to propose what she will do about the biggest environmental crisis of our time.

The world's lead scientists have concluded that the U.S. must cut emissions of global warming pollution by 80 percent or more by the middle of this century to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change, such as widespread droughts, floods, famines and a dangerous rise in sea level.

As the worlds biggest polluter, the U.S. has a responsibility to substantially reduce the amount of global warming pollution we dump into the atmosphere.

Already, people here in Palatine are taking responsibility by changing light bulbs, driving less, and buying more efficient appliances. But these actions alone aren't enough.

We need our leaders in congress to make global warming a priority in order to address the full scale of the problem.

While the candidates continue to make their cases to voters over the coming weeks and months, I'd like to hear more about how they intend to protect the health our community and families, and I bet that I'm not alone.

Rob Schultz

Palatine