There’s nowhere to escape to. We are reminded daily of the increasingly horrible effects of climate change. No matter where we live, we aren’t safe, and neither are our children.
When I was a kid, we were taught what to do if a nuclear war started. We hid under our desks (as if that would protect us!) and hoped that our leaders could stave off disaster. Somehow, I emerged intact from that era’s nightmare only to find out in my senior years that the whole world is barreling toward a much bigger catastrophe.
It can all feel overwhelming and inevitable. The enormity of the problem can be paralyzing. It feels like no matter what we do as individuals – even if we recycle, bike to work and keep our thermostats turned low – it’s not big enough to reverse the current trend line. But there is something bigger we can do.
Oregon lawmakers are considering a package of bills that would help us transition away from poorly insulated buildings and fossil fuels, (“Bills aim to make Oregon homes, buildings more climate friendly,” March 14). The region’s abundant clean energy sources can be expanded to help all of us – including low-income Oregonians who can least afford high utility bills – to a more resilient future.
Even in our deeply divided world today, this is one thing we can all agree on: we inherited an amazing natural world and we owe it to ourselves and future generations to protect it.
Mary Anne Cassin, Portland
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