Phil Korman, Claire Morenon and Margaret Christie spell out very clearly the losses farmers are sustaining from this summer’s extreme weather [“Farms, floods, and climate change,” Recorder, July 25]. Amid the details of the heartbreaking damage and the heartwarming community response, I was glad to see that the authors made the clear connection to climate change.

“Climate change,” they write, “will make extreme weather events more frequent. Recent flooding and freezes show the devastation these events can cause — and the response that’s possible. Farms saw an outpouring of community support, and Massachusetts has begun to build the capacity for the larger response that will get us through this disaster and the ones to come.”

A strong response to the immediate losses is important, and kudos to Gov. Maura Healy and her administration for understanding the need to prepare for future extreme weather. But let’s not stop preparing to respond to coming threats.

We can do more now to lessen the severity of future disasters. The federal government under President Biden has passed legislation to help the country reduce emissions from dirty fuels, and Massachusetts under Healey has ambitious plans for fighting climate change. As individuals, we can support those efforts and vote to elect legislators that are committed to clean energy.

We can tell our representatives, right now, that this must be a top priority.

Sia Stewart

Conway

]]>