Editor,

In the aftermath of the presidential election, Rep. Fred Upton was among the first Republicans to accept the reality of Joe Biden’s victory, perhaps because, as St. Joseph Mayor Garey was quoted as saying in a recent article in this paper, the two men know and respect each other ("Does SJ have a case of the blues?," November 12, 2020, Herald-Palladium). Fred Upton has also understood the very real threats from the coronavirus pandemic and the value of masks in protecting our own and others’ health. Rep. Upton has recognized another reality: Climate change is a threat.