Climate change

Climate change has been widely recognized as one of the largest threats to humankind. We can view this global consensus from the resulting sustainable development goals that were projected by the United Nations earlier this year.

In acknowledgment that there is an immediate need to assimilate sustainable developmental goals and action, South Florida Rep. Carlos Curbelo says he wants to protect South Florida from climate change. Why, in that case, did he recently vote to dismantle the Clean Power Plan, our best available tool to reduce climate-changing pollution?

Existing power plants are the largest source of carbon pollution in the United States. If we don’t clean up our power plants, we can’t slow down the ever-worsening invasion of our homes and drinking water by seawater. And we can’t take full advantage of the economic opportunities that will come from more clean energy and energy efficiency.

Last year, with a 20 kw solar array and LED lighting retrofit of a Miami homeless shelter, I began my efforts in attempting to pick up the pace with sustainable development and climate stability through the nonprofit organization IDEAS. It is my hope that Curbelo starts backing up his words with climate action, instead of voting against our interests.

This story was originally published December 18, 2015 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Climate change."