I think I’ve become a single-issue voter. This election has been very contentious, and there’s been a lot in the news about how it’s a very close race that the election is too close to call, particularly for the presidency, but also for the Senate. A lot of the issues they’re discussing are related to economics and the economy. The dollar that people bring home from their jobs isn’t stretching as far as it used to. People are talking about the border and immigration, and how there are people coming into this country who, some say, are taking away jobs. Certain candidates claim that these people coming in from outside the country, illegal immigrants, are a danger to us in some way.

There are also other issues like women’s rights, the right to choose what to do with one’s own body, or just plain old abortion issues related to Roe versus Wade and its overturning in recent years. But ultimately, the issue that I don’t hear anything about on the news, and the thing that concerns me most, is climate change.

For the last few weeks, it has rained so little. In fact, this morning was the first time I’ve seen it rain in a good month, and it was just a little drizzle, enough to get the ground slightly wet. The plants outside are very dry, and the grass is turning brown even though it hasn’t yet reached the time of year when it goes into hibernation. We’re currently in the midst of a burn ban, so it’s not possible to light fires outside legally. During Halloween the other night, we usually have a fire pit in the driveway, but we didn’t because we’re not allowed to have open flames outside anymore due to how dry it is and the dangers that causes.

When you think about this and realize it’s been in the high 70s for the last couple of weeks at the end of October—and now today, on November 1st—it’s 80 degrees outside with sunshine and a pleasant wind. It’s alarming that we’re having such a nice summery day at the beginning of November. This is not natural.

I don’t know if people truly understand the impact humans are having on the environment and what this will do to our planet and our ability to inhabit it. When I look at what presidential candidates or candidates for Congress care about and what we would vote for them for, I don’t see climate change on their list of priorities. It’s all about the economy, immigrants, biological rights, and stuff like that.

These issues are important, but I think every four years, the economy changes. Every four years, the situation at the border changes. Maybe it would be less of a problem having people come across the border if they weren’t fleeing places that are becoming completely uninhabitable because temperatures remain so high there all year.

There will soon be places on Earth where humans can’t live because it’s simply too hot. And I don’t hear any politicians talking about how we’re going to stop that from happening. We keep talking about recycling, stopping plastic straw usage, hybrid cars—things like that—but I don’t see anyone really addressing how to stop major polluters affecting our ecology and climate.

We should stop producing energy using coal and gas. We should stop fracking. We should stop consuming fossil fuels en masse without considering their environmental impact. We need to invest in new technologies that help us mitigate these losses.

I’m not saying we should stop using cars or planes altogether but find new ways to make them viable without harming our future environment. If we do nothing, large portions of our planet will become uninhabitable.

It would be interesting if politicians considered an economy of ecology as part of their platform—how we can save for our future environment while creating jobs for those affected by changes like closing coal plants.

I’d really like to hear politicians talk more about this issue. But this election cycle seems polarized on this topic; it’s not even worth bringing up sometimes.

I keep hearing candidates’ positions on various issues through news and debates. While there are things I like about one candidate over another, climate change is never discussed enough for me.

For me, climate change is the most important issue our government should address because they have significant control over it compared to regular citizens or companies. Without government intervention, positive change won’t happen.

If we fail to elect leaders who support positive changes in our behavior regarding climate impact, we’ll face dire consequences sooner than we think—like unsustainable temperatures for crops or destructive storms flooding settled areas beyond mitigation efforts—all because we failed as a society to prioritize what truly matters over trivial considerations like low-wage jobs being taken by immigrants that have a skin color different from some orange-skinned misogynist running for re-election so he can pardon himself for whatever crimes he commits in the process of getting infantile revenge on anyone who implied he was naughty.

So despite many problems needing solutions in this country, I’ve become a single-issue voter focused solely on environmental policies ensuring our planet remains habitable for us and future generations.