Climate change should be major issue of Democratic campaign

I'm amazed each morning at the number of 100-degree readings in The New York Times' list of American cities' weather forecasts.

Large areas of the Southwest, Southeast and Northwest bake in soaring heat that has lasted for weeks.

Here in Atlanta, cool mornings have arrived, giving hope for a pleasant autumn. The afternoon temperatures still rise into the mid-80s.

To meet the power demand from data centers, Georgia Power seeks to build new reactors fueled by oil and natural gas, after spending billions on new nuclear plants.

The always compliant Republican Public Service Commission has given preliminary approval to Georgia Power's plan, without an estimate of the eventual costs, according to the AJC.

Ga. Power and parent company Southern Co. make enormous profits, yet keep receiving rate increases from the PSC. 

Some of those data centers will serve companies building solar panels and electric vehicles. In Georgia Power's reactionary view, more fossil fuels will be required to complete the shift to a carbon-neutral economy.

Climate change has received little mention at the Democratic National Convention outside of President Biden in his farewell address citing his far-reaching but still inadequate environmental legislation.

With GOP candidate Donald Trump vowing to eviscerate climate change policies, the election will determine the world's future.

Democratic nominee Kamala Harris should reaffirm Biden's commitment to ending the nation's dependence on fossil fuels, with plans to limit the environmental costs.