We need to work toward saving the climate

Thank you for the prominent and easy-to-read Feb. 17 article “Extreme Iowa,” which clearly documented some of the highlights from Environment Iowa's report on extreme weather and its impacts precipitated by climate change in Iowa and elsewhere.

It is sobering to read that weather-related disasters have affected counties where more than 242 million people live - nearly 80 percent of Americans. What is alarming is that more is not being done to mitigate the chances of extreme weather becoming still more severe and unpredictable. We know we have to lower the amount of emissions from fossil fuels going into the atmosphere for this to happen. Efforts to deal with methane and soot around the world are admirable. It is coal, however, that is the worst offender, and only Congress can help make green energy a more affordable alternative by adopting a gradually increasing fee on fossil fuels. Once we get beyond denying the problem, we have to be willing to work with the political system to make the changes that will save us.

Barbara H. Schlachter

Iowa City