Press Congress to act to protect climate

Thanks for your reporting on the remarkable early and record-tying heat the Chicago area experienced over the Memorial Day weekend, as well as regarding the costs which will be incurred in road repairs.

While it's true that any isolated event is largely a fluke of weather, the fact that occurrences such as this are becoming more frequent should not get lost in the noise. Over the last year, record high temperatures in the contiguous U.S. outweighed record lows by a ratio of 1.8 to 1. That ratio has been consistently larger than one, and has increased each decade since the 1970s as the climate has warmed.

As the temperature increases, so will the real consequences to our life and liberty.

Polls show that Americans are increasingly concerned about climate change, but the EPA under Scott Pruitt continues to move in the wrong direction. It's time to ask our elected representatives in Congress to act, and not allow heads of government agencies, appointed at the whim of presidents, to have jurisdiction over this important matter. Voting for the right candidate is no longer enough - Americans need to tell their members of Congress to pass pragmatic and effective legislation to address climate change.

Wharton Sinkler

Des Plaines