Editor:

Julie Nowak, leader of Whidbey Citizens’ Climate Lobby, joined 800 climate activists in Washington D.C. for Citizens’ Climate Lobby Day on July 22. CCL volunteeers are consistently nonpartisan because we see that bipartisan solutions tend to endure over time. On Lobby Day this year our members met with both Republican and Democratic congress members and staff in over 400 meetings to urge a rapid transition to clean, affordable and reliable energy.

We were surprised and disappointed to hear staffers at one of our Western Washington congressional offices say that they were not hearing from constituents about climate change. The staffers said environmental groups have been particularly silent since the change in administration. If congress members receive few calls and emails from constituents about climate change it becomes a low priority concern for them.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act has left many stunned and feeling hopeless but it is still important to lobby now. CCL volunteers were able to preserve many clean energy benefits in the OBBB that would otherwise have been cut. Now we must continue urging congress to resist additional cuts the administration is pushing for.

Our representatives need to be constantly reminded that climate change is a top concern for us, even if we think they will reliably vote for, or against it.

Climate change affects every aspect of our lives. Please tell your congressional representative it is a top concern of yours. Search “contact my congress member,” pick a website and follow the prompts. The children will be grateful.

Denise Marion

Oak Harbor