Local opinion: You can take action on climate change

A beautiful spring and recent pleasant winter in Tucson make me think about how much I love living in Southern Arizona. And I believe many readers of the Arizona Daily Star love living in the Tucson region as much or more than I do. But our increasingly warming days remind me of our upcoming summer, particularly in light of the record-breaking summer heat we endured last year, globally the hottest year on record. While I am very concerned about the impacts of climate change on our community, what do you think about climate?

Data from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication from December 2023 show that in the Tucson metropolitan area 79% of adults think global warming is happening, 72% are worried about global warming, 62% think that global warming should be a priority for the next president and Congress, 65% think Congress should do more to address global warming, and 59% think that local officials should do more to address global warming. These Tucson numbers are higher than corresponding Arizona and national numbers, confirming that we in Tucson do very much care about our climate.

Climate change is basically a pollution problem. As levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gas pollutants, primarily from combustion of fossil fuels, continue to increase in our atmosphere, global warming will only relentlessly worsen. An April 19, 2024 poll by YouGov.com showed that 71% of respondents living in the American West think that the amount of pollution globally has increased since April 1970 (Earth Day was first observed on April 22, 1970) and 67% think both that global temperatures have increased and that the number of extreme weather events occurring globally each year have increased since April 1970.

Now that we’ve passed a tipping point on the public opinion of climate change, where now most Arizonans and most Americans in other states want more actions taken to fight climate change, what can you do? You can both save money and help the climate through household incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act, such as federal tax credits for new and used electric vehicles, electric vehicle chargers, basic home weatherization, electric panel upgrades, rooftop solar and storage battery installation, and installation of heat pump air conditioner/heater units, water heaters, and clothes dryers, among others (rewiringamerica.org).

But while individual actions are helpful and commendable, we also need to act collectively to fight climate change. Time is of the essence, as we have only 62 months after our next general election to reach our national goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2030.

To further collective action to fight climate change, begin by talking with your family, friends, and anyone else you can have a conversation with about your climate concerns. You’re obviously not alone in how you feel and most people will share your concerns, as we all feel firsthand the effects of climate change. Get involved by joining community organizations in our region that have been tirelessly advocating for climate solutions. These organizations include Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Arizona Youth Climate Coalition, Greater Tucson Climate Coalition, National Audubon Society, and the Environmental Voter Project, among many others.

Write or call your city council members, mayor, county supervisors, state corporation commission commissioners, state legislators, congressman, and senators to let them know you care about the climate as much as the majority of others in our community does. Your politicians want to know how their constituents feel and what they think and will certainly listen to you.

And vote in every election, every time, for only those politicians who share your climate concerns. Vote for every political office on your ballot, from President to Arizona Corporation Commission Commissioners. Elections really do have consequences and your vote matters. With humility and resolve, let’s work together to fight the worsening impacts of climate change on our community.