LETTER: Climate change in Colorado is a personal health threat to many

Editor:
Climate change is putting our health at risk, and we are feeling its effects now. Have you ever felt the fear and helplessness of not being able to breathe during an asthma attack? I did just this weekend – and found myself in the ER, thankful for the privilege to eventually exhale. Literally. 

Pollution chokes our air, worsening respiratory conditions like asthma. Investing in clean energy and reducing fossil fuel dependency will lead to healthier air quality and stronger communities. Climate change is more than an environmental issue; it is a public health crisis that demands immediate and coordinated action. 

There are three real ways Congress can act in 2025 to make meaningful progress:
1. Impose a carbon border tariff. With around 25% of global carbon pollution tied to trade, policies like this could have a huge global impact. (source: Trade and Climate Change, World Trade Organization.)

2. Pass bills and enact policies that support clean energy technology. Examples from 2024, such as the Energy Permitting Reform Act, already have significant bipartisan support. 

3. Fund reforestation and wildfire mitigation. Bipartisan solutions in the Farm Bill and other legislation could advance reforestation and forest health initiatives. 

Remember, the question is not: “will I do harm or will I do good?” the question, when faced with a crisis as overwhelming as our climate and our future, is: “will I do good, or will I do nothing?” 

Grace Trautman
Denver