Readers React: A climate-change litmus test for politicians

To the editor: I am opposed to litmus tests for political candidates, but 20-something John Cubelic’s eloquent plea for political leadership in the battle against climate change and global warming is making me rethink my view. (“I’m twentysomething, I vote, and I won’t take seriously any candidate who doubts climate change,” op-ed, March 26)

America has to step forward firmly to lead the world in efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption and introduce renewable energy. This is a societal issue that must be addressed at all levels, but strong political leadership is critical to the success of our efforts.

Think twice about supporting a candidate who is equivocal about the threat to our society posed by the rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Michael W. Werner, Pasadena

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To the editor: Two things you can count on in American politics:

One, a man who says that no price is too high to solve a particular problem isn’t planning to pay it himself. Two, any advocate for climate change action will tell you that no price is too high.

It’s interesting that few major news agencies give credence to non-legislative approaches to climate change problems, such as the “adapt to it” ideas of Danish political scientist Bjørn Lomborg or Harvard scientist David Keith’s sulfur-dioxide plan for cooling the atmosphere.

No, the solution is always a political one. And politics have done so well for us solving the problems of race, poverty, war, religious strife and more.

A suggestion for millennials like Cubelic: Don’t rely on any solution that requires politicians (of any stripe) to be wise, generous or competent. Science may have solutions, but politics usually won’t.

David Hendershot, Fullerton

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To the editor: I agree wholeheartedly with Cubelic that global climate change threatens the future of the planet and that the refusal by our leaders to address it and act has made the problem much worse.

The other elephant in the room is global over-population. I am a baby boomer and have tried to engage others on these two subjects for years without effect.

I am convinced that like the lemmings, we will do nothing until pushed off the proverbial cliff by our ever-increasing trashing of our planet and its limited resources.

Mark O’Connell, Irvine

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