To the editor:

NASA just announced that January through August 2015 has the hottest global temperatures on record since 1880, well on the way to eclipsing the 10 hottest years on record, all which have taken place since 1998. These climbing temperatures are reinforced by global measurements that show increasing ocean temperatures, shrinking glacial and ice cap mass, rising ocean levels, ocean acidification, pole-ward migration of species, and increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather events. Physics and chemistry clearly implicates human involvement in these changes.

But there is a glimmer of hope that some of our legislators are beginning to acknowledge this reality. As the pope visits to speak about the moral imperative to address climate change, a group of 10 Republican U.S. representatives have introduced a resolution that acknowledges that climate change is real and would start a dialogue to “create and support economically viable, and broadly supported private and public solutions to study and address the causes and effects of measured changes to our global and regional climates, including mitigation efforts and efforts to balance human activities that have been found to have an impact.”

HR 424 is only a beginning, but it represents a break from our federal legislature ignoring the issue. Everyone should let their representative know that addressing the issue of climate change is important to the future of Kansas and encourage them to consider adding their names to this list of courageous Republicans sponsoring this resolution.