Editorials / Opinion

Politicians, glaciers, and the tortoise and the hare

As The Times reminded us last week, the gradual disappearance of Arctic sea ice is being driven by anthropogenic climate change, which is also contributing to the increased likelihood of wildfires and a host of devastating effects linked to climate change [“Report links extreme weather, melting of Arctic sea,” News, Dec. 13].

Meanwhile, back home in Washington, it seems as if glaciers are moving faster than our politicians as our state’s climate panel led by Gov. Jay Inslee has been unable to progress on implementing climate policy. The process to develop legislation to deal with climate change, which began five years ago, has come to a deadlock as Republicans refuse to take on policy citing cilmate change’s potential impacts on the economy.

Will our legislators learn from the success of B.C. and implement meaningful climate legislation that cuts emissions and helps our economy? Or will glaciers continue to win this race?

— Alex Lenferna, Seattle