Direct effects of climate change
Climate change impacts us directly. The rapid spread of the black-legged tick, whose bite causes Lyme disease is one example. The Environmental Protection Agency counts the spread of Lyme disease as one of its climate change indicators. As the Earth warms, the tick is able to reproduce more often.
Pennsylvania is ground zero for this malady. Since 2011, Pennsylvania annually has led the nation in Lyme cases. It is present in all 16 counties of Congressman Glenn Thompson’s district. And tick collection done by Penn State’s Department of Entomology since 1988 “…indicate(s) that the black-legged tick is increasing in range and abundance within Pennsylvania.”
Thompson would be doing his constituents a service if he joined the growing number of Republicans who are doing something to combat climate change and its negative impacts.
I urge him to join the 21 Republicans and 21 Democrats on the bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus. And I suggest that he consider the carbon fee and dividend plans put forth by the conservative Climate Leadership Council and by the nonpartisan Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Richard W. Jones, State College
This story was originally published June 28, 2017 at 9:24 PM with the headline "Direct effects of climate change."