Damage is already being done by climate change

I am encouraged to see that the Daily Herald has taken a proactive position regarding the consequences of climate change to our health, safety and economy. The NHTSA report cited in your editorial along with the recent report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change both conclude that the current efforts to reduce CO2 are not sufficient to "keep global warming from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees F) above preindustrial temperatures."

Parts of the world are already seeing the damage caused by rising sea levels. A recent article provided a vivid example of this in the south Florida area. Seawater is already flooding lower-level neighborhoods at high tide, causing real estate valuations to drop. This will continue to be worse, because the ground water aquifers will become contaminated by salt water and put everyone's drinking water at risk in the Miami area. The costs to mitigate these types of problems all over the world will be increasing measurably in the coming years.

I applaud your position regarding the need to take serious action. Damage is already being done. We need to support programs and initiatives that not just slow down the increases in CO2, but actually reduce the emissions.

Gerald Crimer

Bolingbrook