Gov. Jay Inslee appears ready to announce his 2020 presidential run. Considering the size of the Democratic field the odds for him to win the nomination are slim. Nonetheless, I applaud his (anticipated) candidacy for one reason — his message: climate change.

There are many critical issues that face us today, each with their unique dimension of peril. But there is nothing that will come close to the gut punch of climate change (except possibly WWIII). It is like a category five hurricane is bearing down on us but it is still hundreds of miles away. The first hint of roughening seas under the still-balmy skies feels like fun. A hurricane? Says who? Let’s hit the surf!

But not everyone is blind, especially not the young. Greta Thunberg, a 16 year old from Sweden is a prime example. Her message to the elites meeting at Davos hits hard:

“Adults keep saying we owe it to the young people, to give them hope. But I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. I want you to act.”

So true.

This brings me back to Inslee. Whether he wins the nomination or not, his candidacy is bound to have one major impact. It will inject climate change as a top issue in 2020. It is way past time.

Sankar Ray

Sammamish