Climate wake-up call

We humans are not the only ones being affected by climate change. A research study by the Field Museum has found that in only 38 years, the body size of songbirds has dropped and their wing size has increased due to rising temperatures. Beyond the immorality of human actions forcing other species to physically change or perish, this should be a wake-up call to us.

We may think that we can "adapt" to climate change by shoring up coastlines, rethinking agriculture and managing weather disasters, but the truth is that we do not really know what could happen if we do not take serious steps to reduce carbon emissions.

Fortunately, there is something we can do. The bipartisan Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763), which is currently in the House of Representatives, would tax fossil fuels at the source of production and return the proceeds back equally to American households.

It also includes a border adjustment to protect American markets and would incentivize both reduced fossil fuel consumption and increased use of renewable energy sources. Many of our Illinois representatives, including Sean Casten, Bill Foster, and Lauren Underwood, are already strong champions of the environment and you can help by contacting them to ask that they support H.R. 763. We still have a window of opportunity to impact our future and we need to act now.

Karen Campbell

Bolingbrook