Editor,
Feb. 6 marks 100 days since Superstorm Sandy slammed into the mid-Atlantic, claiming almost 150 lives, destroying homes and knocking out power for millions. The recovery continues: many families in New York and New Jersey have been unable to move back into their homes, and many who have returned have been struggling through recent cold snaps without any home heating.
What will we learn from this? We know extreme weather events such as Sandy and the ongoing record drought are likely to become more severe and more frequent unless we tackle global warming now. And as the president said, ignoring this problem would “betray our children and future generations.”
We have solutions, from wind and solar to home weatherization projects. But our leaders must take action. Most immediately, we need President Obama to reject the dirty Keystone XL oil pipeline and to set carbon pollution limits on power plants. The time for action is now, not after another devastating storm.
Benjamin Covey
UNM student
