As I tried to stay cool during our recent hot weather, I couldn’t help thinking about climate change. We didn’t break any heat records in Portland, but it was close. 

Due to our warming planet, these higher temperatures will continue. Reuters has put together a climate monitor that shows we’re already well above historic norms. Even on July 5, which was cooler than the week before, Portland was 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit above a normal high. 

What makes this even more sobering is realizing that we’re the lucky ones. Compared to places like France, which has been breaking heat records left and right, our temperature here feels quite moderate. But how long will that last, when the current administration is throwing up roadblocks for wind farms, solar and electric vehicles, while also championing fossil fuels and coal?

Reading about those things can make it easy to feel like giving up, but I took heart recently when reading “Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet” by Kate Marvel. Marvel points out that, dire as things seem, we don’t know for sure what will happen in the coming years because we don’t know how humans will respond to this crisis. It’s not too late to mitigate some of the damage.

So please, don’t give up on trying to tackle these very real issues, and in November, vote for leaders who will prioritize ways to address climate change.

Erica Bartlett
Portland