Editor,

Who is Rick Hannold representing? It certainly doesn’t seem to be the citizens of Island County or the environment that sustains us.

In a South Whidbey Forum in October 2014, when Rick Hannold was first running for county commissioner, he stated, “The threat of global warming is largely overstated. I feel it’s just part of the natural course of things.”

In an opinion that Hannold wrote to the editor on April 18, 2018, he said, “There are more than 1,350 studies published supporting the arguments of climate change skeptics. Yes, our climate is ever evolving; however, I question the actual causation.”

Well, Mr. Hannold, at the SW Forum in 2014 you also said, “You can skew the facts either way depending on who’s paying for the study.” You’re right Rick, the so-called studies that support the arguments of climate change skeptics are being paid for. They are being paid by vested interests, like the international oil conglomerates that don’t want laws regulating their pollution of the land, ground water, the seas and the air with their fracking, broken pipelines, drilling and oil spills.

The facts are: that 408 parts per million of greenhouse gases are being pumped into the atmosphere and that is changing our climate. Ninety seven percent of our creditable climate scientists do agree and “real” scientists base their conclusions on “facts.”

Who is going to represent and protect the citizens and wildlife of Island County and the land and waters surrounding it? To try and stand up to those who pollute and abuse our environment and the rights of our citizens? It certainly isn’t Rick Hannold. It’s time to elect someone who cares for and has worked hard to sustain this unique environment that we all live in and share. Please elect Janet St. Clair.

Frankie Petitclerc

Freeland