Politics and Climate Change

Re “Bush Cool to Blair on Climate,” July 5: I see once again President Bush has made it clear that his administration will do nothing about global warming because it might hurt our economy. Much like the Industrial Revolution that polluted our rivers and filled our skies with smoke and smog, it’s all about big business turning a buck. I’ve never seen an administration that cared less about its citizens and more about corporate greed.

We should erect a statue to Bush’s accomplishments in this endeavor and place it near the coast. That way, in 30 years if you want to see it, you’ll have to use scuba equipment to get to it.

Larry Berardino

Redondo Beach

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Re “Gov. Turns Up Heat in Global Warming Fight,” July 5: Now the one man who almost single-handedly brought the Humvee into our lives finds it politically popular to tout a cleaner environment. Where was this passion for the global ecology when you were promoting the wasteful, emission-spewing symbol of a heightened virility, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger?

In another election cycle, they had a phrase for this type of behavior: flip-flop.

Stephen Goldsmith

Sherman Oaks

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Bush is still reluctant to even acknowledge any merit to the Kyoto Protocol. Schwarzenegger, on the other hand, appears amenable to taking corrective action. However, even with California’s high emissions, the impact one state can have is questionable. What has been overlooked in this equation is the status of the large oil companies.

These multibillion-dollar behemoths are not going to go gently into that good night as their scarce product disappears from the Earth. I am far from a supporter of large oil companies but, with their size and the amount of political resources these companies command, government leaders need to take them into account when considering the future.

Failing to do so would leave these entities facing a certain demise with all the potentially desperate action that entails. Unrestrained by the democratic process, the capitalist will to survive could prove detrimental to the people and further development of alternate means of energy.

As much as I hate to concede this, government should to some extent work with the oil companies to assist them to become energy companies. This should be done early, when it can still be on our terms and not at the barrel of a gas nozzle.

Steven Belis

San Pedro

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In response to the world’s concern about global warming, the president states that any change in the U.S. posture would “wreck the American economy.”

As I recall, most countries that agreed to the Kyoto Protocol are capitalist nations.

I find it quite interesting that these countries are not as concerned with havoc to their economies as the United States. Perhaps they think the health of human beings is more important than their economies, something that the Bush administration and the neoconservatives are loath to consider, that is, if they have the capacity.

Redefining truth as well as morality seems to be part of their agenda.

Mayer Gerson

Northridge

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Bush has stated that any measures to control global warming that looks like the Kyoto Protocol would wreck the American economy. I wonder what he thinks a large change in our climate would do to the economy.

Most far-right conservatives seem to think that global warming is a liberal plot to penalize business rather than something that ought to be given serious attention, considering the possible consequences.

John Sellars

Redondo Beach