My 2018 Letter to Congress

As an Intro to Oceanography student during my fall 2018 semester, I was tasked with writing a letter (and sending it) to Florida’s senator. Below is that letter, which I recently discovered as I was deleting files from my computer. It was very interesting to read today, in 2020, given all that has happened on our planet since then. Enjoy my very religious and economic perspectives from this time in my life.

Dear Florida Senator,

My name is Joanna LaTorre, and I am a current sophomore in Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. Aside from my economic interests, I like to consider myself an environmentalist. I respect your focus on strengthening the national economy, as I too believe in preventing our country from entering in more debt, but I politely disagree with your stance on climate change and would like to offer reasons for why you should care more about it. To provide some background information about myself, I am from Satellite Beach, Florida. The house I grew up in is two blocks from the beach, between the intercoastal and the ocean. The beach has been my favorite place to go for as long as I can remember. Something about the waves crashing along the shore is peaceful and beautiful, especially knowing that a world of fascinating marine ecosystems lies directly beyond the sand. Whenever life became too stressful during my high school years, I would find solace in taking walks along the sand either before or after school. However, this experience begins to spoil when I find myself suddenly walking along a narrow shoreline, avoiding stepping on piles of dead fish, and looking into the horizon past dirty water. These occurrences are results of climate change, which affects the health and aesthetics of our ocean and the life within it. Not only am I concerned for the marine life God designed for our planet, but I am concerned that our national debt will continue to increase as we ignore the fact that our economy does rely upon the condition of our environment. Global average temperatures have already increased by 1-degree Celsius, and as they continue to rise, we must pay for the effects of destructive wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding. How did we allow our beaches to get to this point? How many more times will we pay for repairing damage before realizing we need to prevent it in the first place?

For 10 years, I had not experienced a single hurricane in Satellite Beach. Yet there has been one major hurricane in my town each year for the past 3 years. I understand that you believe climate change is naturally-occurring, but I strongly believe that humans are not only contributing but have the power to slow down its detrimental effects. I once shared your beliefs on climate change and figured it was completely out of humankind’s hands. Similar to yourself, I was born in a Roman Catholic household. Thus, I believed that natural disasters and global warming occurred as a result of God’s wishes. However, I have realized that avoiding protecting our environment is disrespectful to God and to His beautiful creations. After conducting years of research in high school, being enrolled in Introduction to Oceanography at Cornell, and spending two summers tackling sustainability projects while interning for my city government, I have no doubt that humans contribute to climate change and can slow down its exponential harmful impacts. As we try our best to follow Jesus, being faithful followers of the Catholic church, it is our obligation to be charitable and elect leaders who share this sentiment. Charitability extends beyond feeding the poor and sheltering the homeless—it involves helping those who lack the resources to help themselves. Given that marine life is still life on Earth, I believe it is our duty as Christian individuals to take care of the planet God created for us by helping the marine life that is currently suffering.

I would also like to share the information I have learned about climate change from the perspective of someone with a business mindset like yourself. As you know, Florida is well-known for its miles of sandy beaches and pristine waters. According to an Investopedia article, approximately 40% of all U.S. visitors stated that beach and waterfront activities were among their top activities when visiting Florida (2018). It breaks my heart whenever I visit home from school and see piles of dead fish along the entire shore. Red tide is occurring. Climate change is to blame. Other well-known climate change effects include coral bleaching and ocean acidification as oxygen levels decrease in warmer waters. Florida is the only state in our country with such extensive coral reef formations near its coasts. Climate change affects the health of these beautiful reefs, which can take over 10 years to recover from severe damage. In addition, erosion along the coastline including my town has become more frequent and costlier. As you might remember from your visit this past summer, Hurricane Irma and Subtropical Storm Alberto took about 15 feet of sand from Lido Beach alone. Dunes in some parts of the beach were severely eroded and buildings were underwater. Many of my family members, including my grandparents, who currently live in Miami are experiencing major flooding as a result of sea levels rising due to climate change. As a city already sitting at sea level, Miami has become known as “ground zero,” a place where rising sea levels threaten its future existence. The 2013 IPCC report predicted that later this century, global sea levels will be at least 2 feet higher. Under that scenario, flooding with high tides will occur daily, the storm surge effect of hurricanes will amplify, and low-lying areas of Miami will not be inhabitable. Under higher sea levels, the Biscayne aquifer—where southeast Florida draws its drinking water—will suffer from more salt-water intrusion, a problem which will require billions of dollars to be invested in water-treatment facilities.

Implementing change requires more power, money, and resources than the average U.S. or Florida citizen would have. I always knew elected officials had the power to make a difference, which is why I spent time interning for my city government with the sustainability board. I believe the best way to implement change is by voting for it and making change at a governmental level, which is why I am seeking your help and a change of heart. Florida’s economy relies on the health of the ocean, which will continue to deteriorate as we let climate change worsen. An allocation of funds towards protecting our oceans, the enforcement of sustainable practices among every city government, the implementation of carbon taxes, or even acknowledging that you believe we have the power to prevent further damage from climate change would make a huge difference. While not every problem can be solved by the government, as you have stated, many problems still can be, and you can inspire others to solve the problem. Good leaders know how to speak, but great leaders know how to listen. As a Florida citizen, I simply ask that you listen. Climate change is not something to be debated between Republicans and Democrats, it is a real issue that must be addressed by everyone on our planet. You, as a leader, have the power to make a change and inspire others of different political parties. I, too, have the power to make a change on an individual level. Unfortunately, my actions alone are not enough. Those who are unaware can help, but they will only listen to you. So, please, if any changes must occur, let it be that more citizens can contribute towards a positive change—not climate change.

Sincerely,

Joanna LaTorre