Op-ed: McCarthy urges action on a warming climate

Although the latest news on climate change paints a dire picture, Gina McCarthy of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says that states, cities, and individuals can take action to cut the carbon emissions that are driving the warming climate.

In a commentary on WBUR’s “Cognoscenti,” McCarthy, director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) admitted that climate news—rising seas, forced migration, severe drought, extreme weather—is distressing. “Sometimes it feels like we’re all just one forecast away from total disaster,” she said.

She said that even though the federal government isn’t working right now to deal with the warming climate, there’s still plenty that can be done. “We have solutions right now,” she said. “The clean energy sector is growing. We know how to cut carbon emissions without busting the bank.”

She added, “It’s time to get the people in power to listen. Climate—our kids, their health, their future—those are values worth fighting for.”

Listen to or read Gina McCarthy’s “Cognoscenti” commentary: Gina McCarthy: Discouraged By All The Bad Climate News? There’s No Time For That