Janisse Ray is a writer and naturalist born in Baxley, Georgia,
who has graciously agreed to write for our blog. Her book,
Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, recounts growing up in a
junkyard, the daughter of a poor, white, fundamentalist family,
and her latest book, Pinhook, Finding Wholeness in a Fragmented
Land, tells the story of the land that connects the Okefenokee
Swamp in Georgia and Osceola National Forest in Florida. Open
Letter to U.S. Senators and Representatives by Janisse Ray
Carbon emissions have already increased global temperatures by
over 1 degree Fahrenheit. We are seeing dramatic results. Our
planet, due to rising levels of atmospheric CO2, methane, and
other greenhouse gases, is experiencing: - thawing permafrost -
melting glaciers - melting sea ice - rising sea levels - an
increase in hurricane intensity - shifts in drought and rainfall
- changes in migration patterns of insects and animals. With no
action to cut greenhouse gases, - the planet will get another
4-6 degrees warmer within 50 y