Election Issue-Charlie

Charlie McGill
Mr. Roddy
IHSS
10.22.18
Climate Change
I have a problem with the part climate change is playing in the elections right now, specifically in our local Texas senate race. Climate change isn't being talked about nearly enough in debates or by candidates. For example, in the first Beto v. Cruz debate, climate changed wasn't even brought up once, and candidates on both the left and right across the country seem to be avoiding the subject, but not as much as in Texas. I think the reason for this is because Texas will be affected by climate change regulations pretty heavily, with a lot of the economy relying on the oil and gas industry. If either candidate says the wrong thing on climate change it could heavily impact the race, since it can effect the vote of both wealthy oil and gas executives as well as more working class oil field workers, who are very concerned about losing their job because of oil regulations. But just because you run the risk of losing votes, doesn't mean that both candidates should just avoid the issue altogether, especially since it effects the future of our planet and its environmental health. Climate change also heavily effects Texas, because as our planet gets warmer, the risk of hurricanes and flooding goes up, which is a big issue in many parts of Texas, like Houston, Corpus Christi, and other smaller cities and towns around the gulf of Mexico. Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey caused $125 billion dollars in damages to Texas, and for much of that time it was either a weak hurricane or a tropical storm. By the time Harvey hit Houston, it was a tropical storm. Imagine the damage that could've been done if Harvey was still a hurricane by the time it hit Houston. That hypothetical scenario could've been a reality in only 25 years if our climate keeps warming at the rate it's warming now. I think that climate change should be a heated topic of debate, every debate, not just another issue to be discussed but one of the most important issues, considering it effects everybody no matter race, sex, or class.



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