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July 6 brought the season’s first scorching temperatures to Maine, along with many long-awaited summer activities. As Stephanie Lage-Lichko explained in her interview with the Bangor Daily News, we are all “so ready for summer.” But heat waves aren’t just opportunities for lake days — last week actually broke the record for the hottest global day several times.
Our changing climate is having dire effects worldwide, especially in areas already experiencing poverty and hunger crises. As an intern at the Borgen Project, a nonprofit aimed at reducing global poverty through legislation, I have been learning about the lasting effects that poverty has far beyond the individuals directly affected.
While the climate change discussion is not new, it is important to remember its role in global hunger and security. Droughts and floods disrupt agriculture, the primary food supply for many individuals living in poverty, and climate disasters contribute greatly to the global refugee crisis.
We have all heard about combating climate change by not idling or using reusable straws, but this crisis must be solved on a much larger scale — and legislation is one way to do that. I therefore urge Rep. Chellie Pingree to cosponsor H.R. 598 — Earth Act to Stop Climate Pollution by 2030. This bill establishes requirements regarding renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, and more.
So the next time we rejoice over abnormally hot summer days, remember its cause and allow that to be motivation to fight climate change while encouraging your representatives to join.
Mary Psyhogeos
Cumberland