Letter to the Editor: It's the biggest threat to mankind
Letter to the editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on the need for action on climate change
I commend the Seattle P-I's editorial staff for the excellent Jan. 4 editorial "Washington Legislature: It's time for action." Climate change is by far the biggest threat ever encountered by humankind. Clearly, human activities have accelerated natural climate change that has occurred periodically throughout history. Such acceleration is now beginning to increase exponentially because of the myriad positive "feedback" loops in the ecosystem (e.g., melting ice provides less ice to reflect the sun's rays, thus allowing the ever-enlarging surrounding Arctic Ocean to absorb even more of the sun's heat, thus producing even more warming).
Soon the U.S. will join international efforts and provide sorely needed leadership to the betterment of the world and future generations. Policies must continue to be put in place that provide incentives and identify the true costs (no more "externalizing" the costs of energy by ignoring the resulting pollution, health effects, and CO2 emissions) of burning of ancient fossil fuels.
Yes, lifestyles will have to change with the biggest emphasis on energy efficiency and conservation. Our processes and lifestyles are incredibly inefficient, so there is tremendous amount of "low-hanging fruit" we can pick to get started in the right direction to a sustainable and prosperous future.
Peter Rimbos
Maple Valley
