To the Editor:

Water conservation is only one part of the solution to Colorado’s devastating drought conditions. Beyond conserving water, we need to address the global warming that is making drought more frequent in the Southwest. If we take action now, humans can protect our water resources by taking action to halt global warming.

We are causing global warming by burning fossil fuels, blanketing the world in carbon dioxide (CO2), preventing heat from leaving the atmosphere and thus cause rising temperatures. As temperatures increase, so do evaporation rates: the result is increasingly strong and frequent droughts, leaving a less than adequate amount of water to be used for our many needs.

We must stop global warming by pursuing clean energy sources that do not produce CO2 such as solar and wind power. Shifting to clean energy would do much to prevent droughts from becoming more regular and intense.

If we want to protect our water supplies, lakes, and crop harvests in the future, we must ask congress to make clean energy our national priority. Tax breaks and energy subsidies already serve the cause of fossil fuel burning. Congress must shift those advantages to favor our future, toward clean energy and away from dirty fossil fuels.

Sincerely,

Melanie Schmidt

Communications Coordinator

Power Shift

Washington, D.C