As a science educator and resident living near Cortez, I am thrilled and relieved to see that 11 Republican Congressmen have co-sponsored the historic Gibson resolution on climate change.

Climate change is the most critical issue of all time. I am a parent of two young adults with much of their lives still ahead of them.

Therefore it grieves me immensely to know that if significant changes in how we impact our world, particularly with energy production which is causing climate change, aren’t made soon, their lives will be of a notably lower quality than mine has been.

The window of opportunity for keeping warming to a level that might be “manageable” (2 degrees C) is very close to closing. Congress needs to act quickly and decisively to make major improvements in energy policy that will shift our use of fossil fuels to the use of renewables, primarily solar and wind.

We will then be leading the way among large nations, inspiring this change around the world, particularly in China. Rep. Scott Tipton recently commented on Pope Francis’ address to Congress, that the responsibility belongs to China (and others) because it is the worst carbon emitter.

However China only recently surpassed us; we have a long history of being the world’s worst greenhouse gas emitter.

I feel that as one of the most affluent and technologically advanced yet high-level greenhouse gas producing nations we have a moral obligation to lead.

Using our creativity, perseverance and sense of cooperation, we can act on the many recent studies (see http://citizensclimatelobby.org/remi-report/) that have shown that climate change mitigating policies will improve the economy, increase peace and quality of life here in Cortez and elsewhere.

Making this Republican-sponsored climate change resolution truly historic and powerful is in the hands of Tipton and his colleagues.

I urge him to join with fellow Republicans in signing the Gibson resolution and to work toward significant climate change legislation soon.

April Baisan

Cortez