Ives and Kinzler: A better climate question

A recent Daily Herald included excerpts from interviews with Jeanne Ives and Gordon Kinzler, who are running for the 6th District congressional seat in the March 17 primary. The interviewer asked, "Do you believe climate change is caused by human activity?" Perhaps a more relevant question would be, "How is climate change affecting the 6th District?"

Does either candidate know that average precipitation in most of the Midwest has increased by 5% to 10% over the past decade? Rainfall over the four wettest days of each year has increased by about 35%. And stream flow rates on the worst flood day of each year have increased by 20%.

As a result of these climate impacts, municipalities throughout the Chicago metropolitan area are grappling with higher stormwater management costs, increased pollution and stream bank erosion, and the need to revisit floodplain maps and associated zoning regulations.

These are not opinions or beliefs. These are facts presented by staff from DuPage County's Stormwater Management Department at the DuPage Environmental Summit held on January 30 in Naperville.

In the past five years, the Daily Herald has reported on major stormwater initiatives in Wheaton, Batavia, Geneva, Elgin, Bloomingdale, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Libertyville, and Wheeling. These initiatives total more than $150 million in construction costs and over $600,000 for additional studies. Climate change is driving these costs, and taxpayers will ultimately pay.

As a resident of the 6th District, I hope that whoever wins November's election will closely study the local impacts of climate change. And I hope that all of our elected officials will rely on science and facts when analyzing and responding to these impacts, not personal beliefs or partisan talking points.

Scott Buckley

Naperville