I remember what I was doing a year ago — clinging to my phone, waiting to hear from my friends and family who were in the heart of Superstorm Sandy, hoping they were safe. One year ago, Superstorm Sandy slammed into the Mid-Atlantic, claiming more than 100 lives, destroying homes and knocking out power for millions. The recovery continues — communities in New York and New Jersey are still struggling to rebuild a year later.
What will we learn from this? We know extreme weather events like Sandy are likely to become more severe and more frequent unless we tackle global warming now.
We have solutions from wind and solar power to home weatherization projects. Most immediately, President Barack Obama is moving forward with new rules to limit the carbon emissions from power plants. I urge Maryland's elected leaders to support strong limits on carbon so we can protect our children's future from the worst impacts of global warming.
We can't just commemorate Sandy, we need to act.
Talya Tavor, Baltimore
The writer is a field associate with Environment Maryland.