Whether we realize it or not, our planet and our future well-being is in jeopardy. The planet is getting warmer. That is a fact. It is not a matter of opinion. This has been causing and will continue to cause widespread environmental disruption such as rising sea levels, melting ice in the poles, and severe weather. 

I have even read that it will affect the changing colors of the leaves that we know and love during the fall. Warmer temperatures are likely to cause them to turn brown and miss the beautiful reddish-orange color change entirely. This may seem like a trivial problem, but it is yet another example of how climate change will affect the daily lives of people across the world, including Iowans. 

We must let Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley know that they are not doing enough to mitigate this crisis. The time to act is now, and I implore you to advocate for the passage of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. The time is now. Not tomorrow, not next year. We must start now.

-Kieran Ruder, Iowa City Resident