Dear Editor: Climate Change

Dear Editor,

The science has been conclusive for decades. The polar ice caps are melting. Sea levels and temperatures are rising. Forest fires, hurricanes, droughts, and flooding are increasing in intensity and frequency. The human-induced climate crisis is real and is escalating out of control.

The federal government is not taking the crisis seriously enough. The Democrat mitigation policies and spending included in “Build Back Better” is a positive step, however, would it not be better if congress considered a stand-alone bill mitigating the crisis? The GOP plan recently released, is a deception. This plan is simply a dilatory tactic designed to maximize today’s fossil fuel profits. Politics, as usual, folks.

Fortunately, the private sector is acting on its own for the long term. Amazon will have 100,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road by 2030, with a goal to be carbon neutral by 2040. United Airlines' goal is to eliminate all its carbon emissions by 2050 by burning Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Ford Motor Company will be producing and delivering its F-150 Lighting EVs next year. Electric Utilities are phasing out fossil fuels in favor of more cost-effective and sustainable renewable energy. About time.

In conclusion, those who continue to place fossil fuel profits ahead of mitigating the climate crisis can be compared to those convicted at Nuremberg in the last century. How will the deniers explain to their children and grandchildren that they ignored the crisis despite overwhelming scientific evidence? It is time to wake up and smell the burning forests and fossil fuels. Take a deep breath. How does it smell to you?

Sincerely,

Don Lepinsky

Whitehall, Montana