Letter: Climate change will be our next big challenge

As the world scrambles to contain COVID-19, we are reminded of the importance of listening to responsible voices and preparing for major challenges like climate change.

Neither pandemic nor climate risk are remote. A worldwide contagion like the coronavirus was anticipated for years by doctors, public health officials and the U.S. intelligence community. Similarly, accelerating climate change is foreseeable, and experts tell us it’s worth preparing for.

Scientists are no longer the only ones warning about climate risk. Major U.S. companies believe that climate change, left unchecked, poses an enormous threat to the global economy. ExxonMobil, Microsoft, PepsiCo, AT&T and Procter & Gamble are so concerned about the risk that they have joined with other leading businesses to call on Congress to cut emissions. The Carbon Dividends Plan they have proposed has earned broad bipartisan support because it would cut emissions in half by 2035.

We still have time to act responsibly on climate. Taking steps now to address carbon emissions is akin to buying an insurance policy against the most extreme climate impacts. Let’s listen to the major businesses, leading environmentalists and thousands of economists who have endorsed the carbon dividends approach. With this solution, we can avoid worst-case scenarios and protect the economy and Americans’ way of life for generations to come.

Dallin Koecher

Heber City