In his commentary (PDN, Dec. 13) Stephen Moore was dismissive of the urgency of addressing climate change.
He makes the seemingly logical inference that neither wind power nor electric vehicles can change the temperature of the planet and then asserts that the entire issue is all about a “hustle” for money.
Wrong and wrong.
Humans have enjoyed a Goldilocks level of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHG) for centuries.
Total absence of GHG (carbon dioxide is the most important one) would result in an average global temperature close to freezing; too much GHG and the Earth’s atmosphere traps enough extra heat that extreme weather events become more common, increasing human suffering across the planet.
This is physics and chemistry, not politics.
A few degrees matter.
Past ice ages were caused by global temperatures dipping just 3 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit.)
The continued and accelerated pace of extracting deep reservoirs of carbon-laden fossil fuels to be used for energy and the consequent release of increasing amounts of GHG has been adding up since the Industrial Revolution.
The extra trapped heat is the energy that drives more extreme weather.
This projected result is becoming more real with each storm, wildfire and drought.
Whatever elements of the changing climate may seem counterintuitive to the lay person, the reality of the emerging crisis voiced by climate scientists for decades deserves our attention.
It is far more logical to trust the extensive research of experts than to seek solace in the brief words of attention-seeking pundits.
Robert Bindschadler
Quilcene