Letter to the editor: Now's the time to 'lean green'

Because of record rainfall supercharged by the planet’s climate crisis (“Thousands evacuate ‘historic’ mid-Michigan flooding,” May 20, TribLIVE), dams were breached in midland Michigan in mid-May, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.

We’ve heard these stories before. But now it’s not enough to escape the floodwaters — those affected must also escape the ravages of the coronavirus.

We are frantically working to develop a vaccine that can protect us from covid-19, but it will take some time. What we’re not frantically doing is developing a vaccine for the planet to save it from a climate emergency that has been worsening for 50 years.

With the world economy in a shambles because of the pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to do the right thing and “lean to green” as we rebuild our way of life, looking to the future instead of simply restarting what we’ve done in the past.

The next best step to make that transition in the U.S. is to pass the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (EICDA), which has 80 bipartisan sponsors in Congress. The legislation will save lives by cleaning our air and water, put millions of people to work installing renewable energy and make buildings more energy-efficient, and put money in the pockets of most Americans through a monthly dividend check.

Learn more about EICDA at energyinnovationact.org and urge your member of Congress and Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey to quickly pass this bill.

Bruce Cooper

Cranberry Township

The writer is group leader of the Slippery Rock chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.