Consider climate when evaluating candidates
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Editor,
I have just returned from Asheville, North Carolina, where my elderly mother lives. For three days after Hurricane Helene all roads in the west of the state were closed due to flooding, damage, debris, landslides, downed bridges, and fallen trees and power lines. Our family was unable to communicate as a result of transmission outages. Landline and cellular service were inoperable. She had no water or electricity.
After reaching her we saw a wasteland of splintered houses, crushed cargo containers, downed trees, twisted railroad tracks, and destroyed neighborhoods. The destruction and desperation were overwhelming.
Hurricane Helene is the deadliest inland hurricane on record. At least 230 people died across the Southeast. As unprecedented as Helene’s impact on the region was, it is likely that its consequences are a signature of future hurricanes. As the climate warms, hurricane risk is increasing. Warm ocean water fuels hurricanes, and warmer air can hold more moisture, creating stronger destructive storms.
Last year was already the warmest humans had ever recorded and 2024 has seen countless heat records. The continued use of fossil fuels–the primary cause of climate change– releases greenhouse gases that trap heat within the atmosphere, increasing average temperatures that fuel extreme weather events.
Warmer air also causes our forests and grasslands here in the West to dry out, causing more frequent and intense wildfires. This results in more smoke, which is extremely harmful to all of us, but especially to babies such as my grandchildren, the elderly, and those with asthma and other respiratory problems.
As you evaluate candidates running for office, look to see those who understand the threat climate change poses to Montana. Action is happening on both sides of the aisle, and candidates should all be moving forward on climate solutions. For more info, go to cclusa.org.
Hope Smith
Red Lodge
