Re: Climate (2020.06)

Earlier this month, a small Siberian town in Russia hit a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The average high temperature there in June is 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Much of Russia faced a heat wave this month, with some locations reporting temperatures as high as 113 degrees. If this phenomenon strikes you as worth of examination, you’re not alone. National Geographic took a deeper dive into the implications of what is becoming a disturbing trend in the artic. The Russians aren’t the only ones feeling the heat. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, May 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest May recorded in the agency’s 141-year global temperature dataset.

While other news is understandably claiming front page headlines, the fact remains that our climate is changing relatively quickly and the ramifications will be far-reaching.

But while these developments might not be published on your newspaper’s front page, Americans are conscious of the need for action. A new national survey by Pew Research Center found a majority of Americans say they see the effects of climate change in their own communities (63%) and believe that the federal government is falling short in its efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change (65%).

Pew also found that majorities of Americans believe the federal government is doing too little to protect key aspects of the environment. About two-thirds of Americans say the federal government is doing too little to protect water quality of rivers, lakes and streams (67%), protect air quality (65%) and protect animals and their habitats (62%). A slightly smaller majority say the federal government is doing too little to protect open lands in national parks (54%).

The survey, conducted in early May, shows the COVID-19 pandemic has not decreased support for climate action. As communities and governments navigate — and eventually move beyond — the pandemic, let’s remember this need for action. Because the future we see tomorrow is driven by the choices we make today.

Kelly Watkinson is land and climate program manager at the Land Trust Alliance.