Steadily warming climate is still the worst problem in the world

To The Daily Sun,

"Environmentalists are spreading climate-change hype" was the title of Jonah Goldberg's article in the July 17 issue of the Union Leader. He didn't mention what percent of environmentalists are doing this.

Goldberg uses the old saws "carbon dioxide just happens to sustain all plant life" and the fact that CO2 levels were much higher in the past. I believe that the past he refers to precedes human life on this planet.

He holds up Steven Hawking, an astrophysicist, as an example of a climate-change hypist, and refers to Jill Filipovic's statement that, "Having children is one of the worst things you can do for the planet" as "interestingly dumb" without understanding the element of truth in what she wrote. He does not refer to experts like James Hansen and Bill McKibben, who know much more about climate change than he does. Goldberg knows as much about the environment as I know about index funds.

At the end of his tirade he includes natural gas as breakthrough source of energy, failing to mention that fracking is high in pollution production.

The July 28 issue of The Week magazine has a more rational treatment of this subject. "By painting an 'overly bleak' picture, people like Wallace-Wells risk demoralizing the public into fatalistic passivity. . . did Wallace-Wells exaggerate the threat to terrify his readers into action? No doubt. But a steadily warming climate is still 'the worst problem in the world,' and terror is appropriate."

Dick Devens

Center Sandwich