Mark Longley: Can we entrust future to someone who cavalierly embraces anti-science attitude?

To The Daily Sun,

There may be many reasons not to vote for Donald Trump but many Americans believe that one rationale trumps all others: climate change. We're already experiencing the debilitating effects of global warming in the form of outsized storms and flooding, forest fires, heat waves, and droughts. Undoubtedly, this is just the start of cataclysmic changes to come and no one will be immune to its ravages. Mr. Trump calls climate change a "hoax" and a "green new scam" while discrediting the scientific consensus of the world's top environmental analysts who warn that the climate urgency is deepening. Wouldn't a rational, responsible leader be open to the long-term work of so many scientists, economists, and educators? Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord and the world community's attempt to address global warming. Now he proposes to reverse many of the clean energy incentives of the last four years. Can we entrust our future to someone who so cavalierly embraces such an anti-science attitude?

The USA has joined the world community, including China, in addressing the existential threat of global warming. And young Republicans in this country are joining the effort. Although we've made good headway in de-carbonizing our economy, researchers say we're not moving fast enough to avoid catastrophic outcomes. Meanwhile, Trump foolishly quips that if climate change is real, then we should look forward to more beachfront property. (He's wrong about that, by the way.)

We have a lot of work to do and can't put this country's efforts on hold for four years of backpedaling. The upcoming election will have profound effects on our environment. If voters are concerned about continuing progress toward leaving a habitable Earth for our progeny, please come out to the polls in November — and vote for responsible environmental action up/down the ballot.

Mark Longley

Sandwich