By Shaun Christean
Dear Editor,
Everyone living in the Northeast has heard the warnings time and time again: always be vigilant for ticks after spending time outdoors. Tick habitat has increased substantially as higher latitudes are unlocked by warming climates, allowing ticks to edge further north every year. Tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease, babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are all growing threats to communities in Vermont, and infections will continue to become more and more common if we don’t act to stop the impending climate crisis.
One vital solution to both these tick problems and other climate-induced issues is carbon pricing. Beginning as low as $15 per ton emitted, carbon pricing is one of the easiest and quickest ways to drastically reduce emissions in the years to come. That’s why we need to demand that our members of Congress, including Rep. Peter Welch and Senators Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy, incorporate carbon pricing in the new reconciliation bill.
Shaun Christean, Middlebury
