Government action needed to mitigate climate change

Thank you for your recent article, "Experts warn climate change could lead to higher insurance costs for Iowans."

It is not only insurance costs that are going up. Climate change is also causing higher food costs, higher construction costs, and more out-of-pocket disaster damage.

We must slow down, stop, and reverse the buildup of climate pollution in the atmosphere.

Instead, Iowa's Republican members of Congress including Ashley Hinson and Randy Feenstra voted to take away federal incentives for wind and solar in the omnibus budget bill passed earlier this year. President Trump has also canceled clean energy projects, even ones that were already under construction.

That is not only bad for the environment, it is bad for consumers and jobs. Clean renewable energy creates jobs right here in Iowa for manufacturing and installing renewable projects. Consumers save money because renewable energy projects have no fuel costs and lower operational costs.

As the Iowa scientists said about homeowners insurance, individual action only goes so far in reducing costs. We need governmental action to cut climate pollution and reduce the growing costs of climate change.

Rob Hogg

Cedar Rapids