The recent Town Hall held by Rep. Pat Ryan in Beacon was a disappointment for anyone who thought they had elected a representative who would take urgent action to address climate change. Despite listing “safeguarding our environment” as one of his top priorities on his campaign website, Ryan was unable to provide a single climate bill that he supports, although he has been serving in Congress for five months.
There is no shortage of visionary legislation that addresses the climate crisis while creating good jobs and improving the quality of life in our region. For example, the Farm System Reform Act would allow local small farmers to compete with corporate factory farms, and the Green New Deal for Public Schools would invest in creating safe and effective learning environments for our children and greatly reduce carbon emissions.
Beacon needs a representative who follows up his campaign promises with action to create good jobs and protect the environment. If he believes in safeguarding our collective future, then I challenge him to take action to do so.
Julie Winterbottom, Beacon
