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Letter: There's much progress in Utah on climate; let's build on it

Finland's Antti Ollila is airborne during mens ski slopestyle training at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Utah climate progress stands as a stark contrast to the stream of climate-damaging policies and appointments coming from the White House this past year.

Consider the following:

U.S. Rep. Mia Love joined the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, currently with 31 Republicans and 31 Democrats in the U.S. House.

Forty Utah civic, business, higher education and religious leaders signed a declaration of commitment to climate action in Path to Positive.

The Salt Lake Tribune posted front-page climate stories like “Climate change sends Olympians packing.”

A Salt Lake Tribune and Hinckley Institute of Politics poll demonstrated that 71 percent of Utahns recognize climate change is happening and 64 percent acknowledge that human activity is contributing.

The Public Service Commission refused Rocky Mountain Power’s industry-crippling fee on rooftop solar users.

Numbers of electric vehicles and charging stations surged.

Many ski resorts such as Deer Valley, Alta and Snowbird endorsed congressional action on climate change.

Salt Lake City, Park City, Moab and Summit County passed resolutions committing to 100 percent renewable energy.

Logan high school students wrote a climate resolution that Reps. Becky Edwards and Joel Briscoe modified and introduced in the Legislature as HJR018.

This list goes on. Utah is poised to build on this progress in 2018. Will you join in?

David S. Folland, M.D., Sandy