Robert T. Smith’s commentary “Our planet’s doom is not so imminent” (March 5, TribLive) celebrates the recission of the Endangerment Finding and asserts that climate change is not an emergency. Smith rails against EPA regulations and those who want to “dictate … man’s activities through the control of carbon.” An overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that climate change has been caused by a rapid increase in carbon emissions due to human activity. Controlling emissions is necessary to preserve our environment and combat climate change.
Many countries, including ours, have established standards for quantifying emissions from activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and manufacturing. Smith’s so-called Goldilocks’ method for carbon emissions legislation is a fairy tale. The world has moved on. We have done the research, we have collected data, we have agreed that reducing carbon emissions would improve health and quality of life for all.
Despite all the blather, wind farms are popping up in Iowa, Oklahoma and Kansas; Texas is the top wind energy producer, and second only to California in solar energy production. This is happening because it makes sense on many levels. Renewable energy is cheaper to produce, faster to market and cleaner.
Lisa Sittler
Sewickley