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I have a hard time listening or watching news stories about climate change: The floods, fires, droughts and warming really scare me. I fear for the future of the life of the planet and what the future holds for my children and grandchildren.

This has been the hottest and most polluted summer that I can remember. My grandchildren have had to stay inside for days this summer because of heat and poor air quality. As a young mom, I never had to worry about that. The last eight years have been the hottest on record, around the world, and July was the hottest month in recorded history.

There are those who claim that global warming is a natural occurrence. But scientists who study the climate, who look at the changes that have occurred over millions of years, are convinced that the heat is caused by an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. And that carbon dioxide is a result of the burning of fossil fuels.

The fossil fuel industry, the big oil companies that reaped $196 billion dollars in profits last year, are counting on us citizens to be inattentive, confused or overwhelmed by climate change. But we have a moral responsibility to our children and grandchildren to pay attention and do the right thing.

And what is the right thing? For the sake of our kids and grandkids, we can no longer vote for any candidate, politician or political party that denies or down-plays climate change. And to be clear, the Republican Party constantly opposes and obstructs the necessary changes as our climate crisis worsens. It’s the Democrats at the federal and statewide level who have worked to put climate smart practices in place.

I will continue to recycle my cardboard, plastic and paper. I will buy cars with good gas mileage and limit trips to reduce gas emissions. I will adjust the thermostat to lower heating and cooling costs, and turn off unused lights and devices. But if I don’t act in the most effective and important way, I am failing my grandkids. I will vote for the Democratic Party, the one that is working to save the planet and our grandchildren’s futures.

Mary Hinnenkamp
Albert Lea