Letters to the Editor: Earth may soon be 'unlivable.' A 26-year-old wonders why that isn't front-page news
To the editor: I've been a subscriber to The Times for several years, even continuing my subscription after moving out of Los Angeles. While I appreciate a lot of the reporting, I'm baffled by some of your choices.
Why was the climate piece not front-page news? That the United Nations just warned Earth is on track to be "unlivable" is massive, life-altering information that should be front and center.
The more we treat climate change as a non-urgent issue, the less time we will have to fix it. I am 26 years old and watching any hope for my future being ripped away from me.
This is urgent. This is important. Please treat it that way.
Audrey Stanton, New York
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To the editor: Thanks for your excellent editorial reminding us that we're not moving quickly enough on climate change. Where is the urgency? Why are politicians not pushing harder for more renewable energy and less coal, oil and gas?
They've been warned again and again, but their actions are not enough to help us.
This week, Los Angeles will experience high temperatures in the 90s, and extreme heat is expected to be with us for the foreseeable future. This is in addition to the fires, droughts and floods that are already costing us billions.
I've asked my representatives to put a gradually increasing price on carbon emissions at the mine or well and return these pollution fees to consumers, which scientists and economists say is the fastest and least painful way to rein in emissions. What do I hear? Nothing.
Let's band together to request this solution. Let's keep our planet alive.
Maggie Wineburgh-Freed, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Saying that the obvious solution on limiting climate change is to "dramatically accelerate the switch to clean renewable energy" gives a false impression that wind and solar energy will ever contribute significantly to carbon mitigation.
On Monday, the California Independent System Operator at noon was within about four gigawatts of having no place for wind and solar energy to go. To "dramatically accelerate the switch to clean renewable energy" requires having some place for the power to go.
So far, there is no indication that utility storage will ever exist in the terawatt-year amounts needed to make wind and solar energy contribute significantly to world energy.
The continued increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide indicates an epic policy failure so far.
William Ernest Schenewerk, Los Angeles
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
