A call to leadership on climate change

To the editor:

Republican Henry A. Wallace was Secretary of Agriculture in Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt's cabinet. In the Nov. 23 guest column in The Gazette 'What would Henry A. Wallace do?”, Wallace's grandson makes the case that his grandfather - an Iowan and a crop researcher - would put science ahead of politics to respond to climate change. He would recognize climate change endangers all of us - farmers included.

Solutions are more important than politics, but right now politics is blocking what science is teaching us. With climate change upon us, the oil industry still is able to set - or block - policy that could turn back this frightening attack on our economy and environment.

As an Iowan, a scientist and a political leader, Wallace would point out that Iowa exports include renewable fuels and wind power as well as corn and hogs. Climate science also fits with Iowa economic advantage.

Each new scientific study warns us that a policy of more digging of coal, more fracking for oil will be lead us to more problems. A recent letter signed by 180 researchers and teachers at 36 Iowa colleges and universities make that point that climate change is already adversely affecting the state.

Iowa and national leaders should follow Wallace's example, and confront climate change just as Wallace and other leaders of his day overcame the Dust Bowl and Depression of the 1930s. Let's put science over politics.

David Osterberg

Co-founder, Iowa Policy Project

Mount Vernon