To the editor:

And to all who are voting for Donald Trump for president — especially if, out of love for children, you favor his anti-abortion stance; or because you believe you will be better off economically under another Trump presidency. Please consider these facts:

Humanity’s burning of fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas) for energy since the 1800s is unequivocally the main source of the extreme increase in the “greenhouse gas” carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere (315 parts per million in 1955; 422 ppm in 2024). The resulting worldwide rise in temperature is causing ice sheets to melt rapidly; sea levels to rise; oceans to warm and acidify; coral reefs (fish nurseries) to die; storms to intensify; floods, deserts, and forest fires to increase; invasive species and diseases to spread; erratic weather patterns to disrupt crop production. Such disastrous changes already cost humanity (individuals, businesses, governments, etc.) increasing multibillions of dollars, impoverishing many, forcing human migration.

Climate disruption is a worldwide threat; addressing it requires international cooperation. The USA must be a leader in this effort but can’t do it alone.

Trump calls climate change a “hoax.” As president, he withdrew the USA from participation in the crucial United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Ignoring scientific truth, he promises to “Frac, frac, frac, and drill, baby, drill!” A vote for Trump is a vote for increased suffering, worldwide instability and higher prices. Is this really the economy you want and the future you want for the children we all love?

Nancy Hanson,

Lawrence