Editor,

Don’t we deserve wise, courageous leadership, elected officials that make reality-based, well-thought out decisions? Dave Paul, Janet St. Clair and Scott McMullen know that human-caused climate change is a threat to Washington state’s prosperity, our health and well-being.

Their opponents are denialists who, based on ideology, deny the science, scientists and their own senses.

We are experiencing a global heat wave of unprecedented, but not unanticipated, dimensions. So many Japanese have died that they’ve declared it a national disaster. It has been 90 degrees in the Arctic, that is 40 degrees higher than past records.

Oregon’s wheat crop has burned and a farmer with it. In Greece, people are being fried or are drowning trying to escape the fires there. Sweden’s forests are on fire and California is burning again.

Yosemite is closed. We are in a serious drought here again this summer.

Did you know cognitive impairment, irritability, reduced productivity and suicide are a result of rising temperatures?

There are things we can do to prepare and mitigate. It’s called Initiative 1631, “The Protect Washington” act. Join us 6:30 p.m. Saturday at UUCWI when we celebrate getting it on the ballot and learn how to get it across the finish line.

There will be pizza. Learn more on our Facebook page, “Whidbey Celebrates 1631.”

Gary Piazzon, president

Whidbey Environmental Action Network