To the editor:

Hurricane Sandy’s devastation of the East Coast of the United States is now followed by a early season Nor’easter, dumping up to a foot of snow on the already devastated area. The news media, the meteorologists, and our leaders in government all need to refocus attention on these severe weather phenomenon. Climate models predict that events such as Hurricane Sandy, the current Nor’easter, Western wildfires, insect infestations, and the drought here in the Midwest, will continue to occur with increased frequency and intensity as the levels of carbon increase in our atmosphere.

We need a solution now to address this troubling trend. Citizens’ Climate Lobby (citizensclimatelobby.org), a non-profit group dedicated to addressing the human-based causes of global climate change, proposes a carbon fee and dividend as a viable way to turn this ship around.

I would suggest that we all do what we can to educate ourselves on this matter and that we ask our elected representatives to back just such an initiative. Hurricane Sandy is only the latest in a series of wake-up calls. There is no time to lose. We need to act now.