Letter: There is no Planet B
So, you like animal stories? Cute kittens and smart dogs? Well, I can give you a monkey story.
So far, 157 howler monkeys have fallen dead from trees in Mexico, killed by the excessive heat.
Also, it is estimated that, at a minimum, tens of thousands of people died in weather events, influenced by climate change, around the world last year. Stronger storms, floods, drought, fires, rising temperatures.
But does anyone care if it’s not close by?
Were late May’s killer storms across our country close enough?
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If you do not believe the Earth is warming, you might as well stop reading right now. I am writing this for thinking people who realize that atmospheric scientists know more than they do.
The leading human-caused reason for climate change is burning fossil fuels. Those who are hurt by tough measures to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels invent reasons to dismiss the expertise of experts.
And there is a strange, distressing lack of discussion about climate change in the 2024 campaign. Some people blame the government for the high cost of food. We get food from all over the world, and floods, heat, storms and fires are all affecting the prices of what we eat. And drinkable water? How lucky we are to live here.
However, our ex-president sat down with oil executives recently and said that if he wins, he’ll immediately scrap a huge amount of the present administration’s clean energy and other environmental regulations that the oil industry doesn’t like — as long as they raise $1 billion for him.
So, what can you do? Plan to vote — even if you have to hold your nose while choosing, perhaps, the lesser of two evils. There is no Planet B.
And ticks (yuk!) just love having more hot weather.
Kay Delanoy
Eagle
