Climate change is leading to higher temperatures and record-setting heat waves, more frequent and severe droughts, heavy downpours, and sea level rise. I mean, have you seen California lately? It is literally on fire. The worst part is that Latinx communities are among the most affected by the changing climate. A majority of our community lives in in California, Texas, Florida, and New York, states that are among the most affected by extreme heat, air pollution, and flooding.

A majority of those working in construction or crop and livestock production are Latinx. What are they going to do when they have to work under excessive heat or when their workplace is on fire? Not to mention the poor air quality in Latinx communities, which makes the children in our communities 40 percent more likely to die from asthma than other children.

But, climate change affects much more than just our environment, it affects the economy, public health, and even immigration. When we vote, we are voting for the future of all of these issues and the future of our children and their children. Our vote could determine if our representatives choose to pass new legislation or uphold legislation that is already in place to protect our environment. We must make climate change a voting issue and communicate this urgency to others around us. As voters, we need to pay attention to what candidates are saying and doing on climate change. Elections are a great opportunity to influence climate policy, so let’s do it before it is too late.