Letter to the Editor - A wakeup call for climate action now

Editor,

There’s no doubt about it; Montana summers are getting hotter and our winters are not producing the consistent levels of snowpack we need to avoid record-breaking fire seasons. And it’s not going unnoticed, over 90% of Montanans see increasing wildfires as an issue, and over two-thirds see them as a bigger problem than they were ten years ago. This is not a coincidence — these are all issues that stem from our changing climate.  

Unfortunately, it’s not going to get better if we don’t act now. As climate change continues to worsen, all of these current issues will continue and get more extreme. We can’t spend another summer breathing in smoke or another winter with 70-degree temperatures. Just this week we saw historic and damaging flooding in southwestern Montana. We must act to change this trajectory while there is still time. 

Montana’s senior senator, Jon Tester, has been and will continue to be an ally in getting legislation across the finish line. We need strong, federal action to curve the effects of our changing planet and move us forward into a sustainable, renewable future — electric tractors included! Let’s get climate legislation passed to keep Montana the Last Best Place forever.

Maria Brietz 

Great Falls