Time is running out to adjust for climate change extremes
Regarding the July 7 front-page article, Unprecedented heat lies ahead, scientists warn : With record temperatures across the globe, the effects of humanitys irresponsible consumption of fossil fuels are devastatingly apparent. As Im a high school student, and given the implications of these extreme temperatures, the future seems terrifying. Extremes in climate change will only get worse; action is urgently needed to avoid the tipping point that is rapidly approaching. Our country needs clean energy, yet renewable energy projects are being slowed by a lethargic permitting process that desperately needs reform. Some permitting reform was introduced in the debt ceiling deal, but it is not enough. A 2022 report found that 92 percent of energy projects awaiting permits are clean energy projects. To achieve clean energy goals, the approval process should be more efficient. Improving the efficiency in federal agencies and avoiding redundancies in the permitting process will reduce the time it takes for approving projects. Additionally, the process of building transmission lines, essential to transporting new clean energy, takes about 10 years to complete . That time frame might not sound like a lot, but it is more than half of my life. Congress should give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission more authority on transmission line projects. Permitting reform is taking action on climate change. Thankfully, it also has bipartisan support, and this common ground is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss. I urge Congress to pass permitting reform legislation to avoid a catastrophic future for my generation. Caden Unger , Silver Spring