Concerns with global warming

To the Editor:

Drought was a major concern across the Western United States in summer 2021, including Minnesota. Do you remember this Fairmont Sentinel headline of Aug. 12, 2021?

Drought goes on for county, state authored by Jason Sorensen

Martin County remains in an extreme drought, along with a large portion of Minnesota, 35 percent, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. 75 percent of the state is only a step behind in what is classified as severe drought.” https://www.fairmontsenti nel.com/news/local-news/2021/08/12/drought-goes-on-for-county-state/

Fortunately, the drought resolved, and Martin County’s farmers saw soil moisture return to normal conditions over 85 percent of the county by December: (https://www.drought.gov/states/Minnesota/county/Martin)

Near my home in Northeast Minnesota our boreal forests suffered deep stress due to the drought; the Greenwood fire of Lake County started on Aug. 15, 2021, burned 26,797 acres, largely within the Superior National Forest, and destroyed 14 buildings before resolving in October. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwood_Fire

Unfortunately, the drought of 2021 is a harbinger of our future, and we know global warming will continue to increase the frequency and severity of droughts throughout Minnesota, including Martin County. For Minnesota’s drought risk projections, visit the Climate Central 2015 States At Risk report card: https://reportcard.statesatrisk.org/report-card/minnesota/drought_grade

Global warming is a fact. It is not a “blue” or a “red” issue. It is a humanitarian issue affecting us all. How does global warming affect you and your loved ones? We have burned fossil fuels for generations to power our lives, but awareness only slowly developed of the severe, emerging, pollution danger from over 110 million tons daily of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; fueling severe-weather related droughts, floods, fires, crop damage and soil erosion. This has created increased water pollution, disease, poverty, climate-refugees, and conflicts globally. Our severely disrupted hydrology cycle contributed to 2021’s deadly heat waves, massive drought and enormous forest fires of the Western US and Canada and the tragic death tolls from Eastern US hurricanes and flooding. These are real events, harming real people, which the overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree are due to manmade global warming.

Temperature increases will exceed the “tipping point” of 1.5 C by 2030 creating self-accelerating, devastating consequences and danger for our children with growing global warming.

There are important and powerful climate solutions to prevent this climate disaster from happening by retiring fossil-fuels and transitioning to renewable energy using beneficial, innovative Federal energy policies. Regenerative agriculture to protect and improve soil health holds immense promise as another important solution.

Protecting and caring for our loved ones and our lands is important to guide our actions. To successfully address global warming requires each of us to act. Please join Citizens’ Climate Lobby and ask your Senators at (cclusa.org/senate), President Biden (cclusa.org/white-house) and Representative Hagedorn (202) 225-2472 to protect our children’s future by pricing carbon with a dividend; creating a self-funding, strong, bipartisan climate solution that saves lives and grows our economy. Please use your voice and join our action to protect our children.

Michael Overend

Volunteer, Citizens’ Climate Lobby