GOP should be the party of Lincoln - and science
President-elect Donald Trump has proudly referred to the GOP as the party of Abraham Lincoln.
It's important to note that President Lincoln established the National Academy of Sciences in 1863 to provide our country with objective advice on policy matters. In its report, “America’s Climate Choices,” the NAS calls for strong national action to address climate change.
The NAS contends that this is wise risk management, because climate impacts will last for hundreds to thousands of years, but climate action can be scaled back if it is shown to be more stringent than what is needed.
Climate change poses great threats, such as sea level rise, extreme weather and the ravaging of the world’s coral reefs. Republicans would be unlikely to tolerate this level of risk with regard to national defense or financial markets. Prudence dictates that we also hedge against the risk of disastrous climate change.
Terry Hansen, Oak Creek, Wisconsin
This story was originally published December 16, 2016 at 7:52 AM with the headline "GOP should be the party of Lincoln - and science."