Cooperative caucus can help in climate fight

The Daily Herald recently published an article announcing the selection of Highland Park Rep. Brad Schneider as the leader of the New Democratic Coalition. This coalition, which also includes local Representatives Bill Foster, Sean Casten and Raja Krishnamoorthi, hopes “to shape legislation over the next two years”. We congratulate each of them for being a part of this coalition. It is just this type of across-the-aisle collaboration that is needed solve one of the most pressing issues confronting this nation, the problem of climate change.

Although no specific event can ever be linked 100% to climate change, a recent UCLA study on the horrific fires currently devastating the Los Angeles area found that around a “quarter of the extreme fuel moisture deficient” feeding the fires is attributable to climate change and that without climate change, the fires would have “smaller and less intense”.

While Illinois does not necessarily fear disastrous forest fires, climate change will affect us in other ways. The government’s Fifth National Climate Assessment warned the Midwest that precipitation extremes of large rains followed by extended droughts will have terrible effects on “crop and animal agriculture, including increased pest and disease transmission, muddier pastures, and further degradation of water quality”. These “projected increases in droughts, floods, and runoff events” will “adversely impact ecosystems through increased erosion, harmful algal blooms, and expansion of invasive species”.

We thank our local congressmen for their past support on fighting this coming disaster, particularly their support of the Inflation Reduction Act. We call on them to continue to work across the aisle to keep the important environmental provisions of that legislation enforced under the incoming administration. Climate change is not a red or a blue issue. It is an issue for us all and for our children.

Tom Carter, Citizen’s Climate Lobby

Naperville Chapter