Editor,

Are you, like me, thanking your lucky stars you live on Whidbey and not Florida in a Category 4 hurricane?

Climate change is bringing more fires, floods, droughts and storms – but elsewhere. What about here?

We still have time to get ahead of climate disruptions, but we need courageous politicians to do it. Here’s a few how’s.

First, don’t vote for climate deniers. The military understands that climate disruptions are security threats, and we should too. You’d fire a doctor who told you smoking and opioids pose no risk to your health. We should fire candidates who reject climate science. You might dislike government intervention, but we’ll need it, like Florida turning to the Federal Government for disaster relief

Second, don’t vote for pro-development candidates. Of course, we need housing, but not at the expense of our trees, forests, wetlands and farmland, and not on fragile shorelines or bluffs. Taxpayers foot the bill for elected officials giving permits without consideration of these threats. Politicians who – like good parents – don’t allow risky behavior do taxpayers a favor.

Third, vote for pro-regenerative farming candidates. Our fertile land is gold. Regenerative farming – like cover cropping, and rotational grazing – will feed us even as rainfall and extreme heat challenge us.

Finally, homeowners, climate-harden your houses and yards. The switch is on from burning fossil fuels to depending on the energy of sun, wind, water and conservation. We may love our gas ranges but they’ll have to go. Sorry to bear bad news, but in a decade + natural/propane gas heating and cooking will be phased out, along with gas cars. Switch now to electric. Insulate. Get a heat pump. Put in drip irrigation for gardens and reconsider bright green grass. Politicians need to incentivize us, by making climate-smart cheaper, and climate-dumb costly.

Unfortunately, prior politicians have kicked the climate can down the road for decades. Now we have to clean up their messes. Ask everyone vying for your vote if they are climate grown-ups.

Vicki Robin

Langley