Jan. 9 — To the Editor:

This week, as I’ve been reading more about the wildfires devastating Australia, something became very clear to me: we are at a make-or-break moment with climate change, and we have to act now.

We’ve known about climate change and the potentially world-altering consequences for long enough, but the same-old Washington bickering has allowed too many to view this as a partisan issue, and no real solutions have been implemented.

The threat of climate change is enough to keep anyone up at night, especially when our current president refuses to listen to scientists. But last Friday night, when I went to see Pete Buttigieg speak to a crowded audience in Portsmouth, it was reassuring to hear him address this crisis directly — and clearly articulate how we can get through this together.

Pete knows that climate change cannot be a political issue. It’s an issue of facts and science — and the fact is, we need to be unified around a new approach to move forward.

Pete’s plan is centered around the opportunity that this moment presents for all Americans to join a nationwide, unprecedented movement to tackle climate change. As president, he would tax carbon pollution, focus on improving infrastructure, and build a clean electricity system to move us towards zero emissions by 2035 — and create 3 million new good-paying jobs in the clean energy sector to get it done.

Christine Hounsell

Rochester