I recently traveled to India and Nepal with a data sciences and sustainability professor from my university to study climate change science and policy. Just weeks ago, I stood before infrastructure, homes, and most importantly people, that are already threatened by climate change that they played the smallest role in causing.
Decades of high-emissions activity have brought our country — and planet — into a crisis that the UN (and the entire scientific community) say we have only 11 years to reverse. Nobody doubts how difficult it will be to transform our society into one that is sustainable — environmentally and economically.
The Democratic National Committee needs to hold a climate debate so candidates can adequately explain how they plan on addressing this issue. I want to have kids and grandkids one day, but if this country doesn't act with urgency now, I'm afraid the Earth will be too dangerous for that. McLean has proven itself as a community of bright and compassionate families who do the right thing. Hundreds of thousands of people in South Asia have already lost their homes to climate change disasters. Don't let us be next.
Natalie Hill
McLean