If you care about the future of the planet, please read this

If you are still not sure who to vote for, please think about it.

For a safe and livable planet, it is essential to reach zero CO2 emissions by around 2050. To achieve this, we would have to have reduced emissions by 30 percent by now. We only saved around 7.5 percent.

According to the United Nations, CO2 emissions from fossil fuel consumption will increase to around 9% by 2030 compared to 2010. This will cause the planet’s average temperature to rise 5 to 10.2 degrees Fahrenheit above the pre-industrial average, threatening humanity’s survival.

If this happens, the heat could kill millions of people and decimate agricultural food production worldwide, leading to mass starvation and wars over remaining resources. If that sounds fantastic, pay attention to the news about floods, wildfires, heat waves, record temperatures, massive hurricanes and extreme storms around the world.

If you care about a secure and livable future, your presidential vote this season is crucial. It’s between Donald Trump, who pulled us out of the Paris Climate Agreement and promises to open the floodgates to the fossil fuel industry by saying, “Drill Baby Drill and Burn Baby Burn”; or Vice President Kamala Harris, who has said little about climate change but whose party has done more than any other country to transition from fossil fuels to clean and safe energy and will help ensure a habitable planet for humanity.

The outcome doesn’t have to be bleak, but it depends on which candidate you choose.

Richard Whiteford, West Chester, Pennsylvania.