We, as citizens of America, need to ignore President/Dictator Trump on all matters that directly affect us. This is especially true on climate change. A walk outside today reveals climate change at work. We have extreme heat and virtually no rain since May in this valley area. Commercial flights had to be canceled in Phoenix for most of a week due to temperatures at close to 120 degrees. It appears now that 2017 will be even hotter than 2016.

We, as American citizens, need to take the issue of climate change into our own hands. We need to defy Trump’s decision to remove America from the Paris agreement. We need to take action as citizens to keep us in the Paris agreement. Perhaps Steve Skadron, mayor of Aspen, could head a citizens group that would serve as an envoy to keep us in the Paris agreement.

What other actions can we take as citizens to fight climate change? We need to create renewable energy zones or green zones in our communities, our cities and states. These zones would prohibit fossil-fueled vehicles and natural gas in the homes. We need to fight to keep our public lands free of oil and gas drilling. We need to preserve the natural vegetation on public lands so natural pollination can continue. Maybe the participants at the American Renewable Energy Day conference in Aspen can think of more.

Climate change is not a hoax as Trump believes. Let’s ignore Trump and move into a green energy future. Our survival depends on it.

Randy Fricke

New Castle