The statement “fossil fuels are never going away” in the letter “Don’t be afraid to question climate change claims” (March 14, TribLIVE) is false. They will go away, at least, when they run out. But sooner than that we will be killed by the wars over remaining land and resources after coastlines have been swallowed by the ocean. Islands are already disappearing, and half the world’s population lives in coastal areas.
The writer’s second statement, “Nothing else can power our economy,” is also false. Maybe not 100% yet, but does that mean we shouldn’t use what we have? We are making good progress on alternative energy sources, and in the meantime couldn’t we conserve a little?
Also, the evidence is clear. Can anyone honestly say we aren’t having more storms and other disasters than we once did? Just as the climatologists predicted.
Nearly 100% of climatologists are aligned on this issue. Other “scientists” often quoted are often not “climatologists,” but metallurgists, paleontologists, etc. Another letter-writer named four opposing “scientists” (“Politics has tainted science,” March 18, TribLIVE). I Googled them. Only one was a true scientist, but not a climatologist. Another had a Ph.D. in philosopy. The others seem to be climate deniers, nothing more. All four had ties to energy companies. They are not experts.
The only thing the science was wrong about is that it is happening faster than predicted. I wonder if these letter-writers have children whose future they care about. Do they really want to gamble that they’re right and all the experts and evidence are wrong?
Fred Durig
Delmont