Climate Deal With China

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/opinion/climate-deal-with-china.html

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To the Editor:

Re “U.S. and China Set Aside Rifts for Climate Accord” (front page, Sept. 4):

Thank you for publishing good news! Despite recent discord between the United States and China over many issues, we should all breathe a sigh of relief that our joint promise to meet humanity’s most daunting challenge remains unshaken.

The fact that China’s geography makes it more vulnerable than the United States to sea-level rise, fresh water shortages and other dire consequences of climate change may have influenced President Xi Jinping’s willingness to formally sign the Paris climate accord. But whatever the motivation, continued collaboration between the world’s two biggest economies on the long, arduous transition away from fossil fuels is vital to our future.

Let’s all work to support these leaders, and even go a step further. We need to urge members of Congress to enact a carbon fee and dividend policy that will cut our greenhouse gases while boosting the economy and creating millions of American jobs.

RICK KNIGHT

Illinois State Coordinator

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Brookfield, Ill.