Record-Breaking String Of Hot Years Is Almost Certainly A Result Of Climate Change

Dear Editor,
 
In an expert study released this week, scientists found that the last two decades of record-breaking hot temperatures are almost certainly the result of man-made climate change.
 
Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA announced that 2015 was the hottest year on record,underscoring the need for urgent climate action. Ohio has good reason to be concerned about this alarming trend: driven by carbon and methane pollution, climate change is fueling costly and deadly extreme weather events, including droughts, heat waves, hurricanes, and record winter storms. Luckily, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized the Clean Power Plan, which sets the first ever federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants.
 
The heat is on and there's no time to wait. I urge Govener Kasich to serve Ohio's best interest by implementing the Clean Power Plan and reducing the pollution that drives climate change while creating new clean energy jobs. The future of our children and the planet depends on it.
 
Brittany Chanley