How to deal with global warming

As the June 12 article “Western Governors Take Aim at Global Warming” reported, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was instrumental in the passage of a global warming resolution by the Assn. of Western Governors. Given the absence of action at the federal level, state leadership is our best hope for solving this important issue, and Schwarzenegger is right to push state action. Unfortunately, resolutions and promises are only good if followed by action. Schwarzenegger should endorse the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32), which would set tough pollution limits for the state’s biggest polluters. As the world’s 12th-largest source of global warming pollution, California can make a real difference on this issue and lead the Western states and the country in keeping promises on solving global warming.

JENNETTE GAYER

Field Organizer

Environment California

Los Angeles

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Re “Past the boiling point,” Current, June 11

When New Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert presents herself as an expert on global climate change, she exposes her lack of understanding of the subject. She says that American emissions of carbon dioxide are the chief cause of climate change. This flies in the face of the fact that climate change throughout all time has primarily been caused by changes in solar energy output; these changes continue today as the primary cause of climate change. If, and how much, carbon dioxide emissions affect climate should be openly debated -- so let the debate begin!

RON THOMSON

Cheviot Hills

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If you can find any evidence that the sea level will rise more than an inch a year, please let me know. And then tell me we can’t cope with that. People living on the coasts (or coral atolls) will have years to either repel the advance or move, just as humans have done throughout history. Enough breast-beating over whether global warming exists or not. Assuming it does, so what?

JEFFREY J. DENNING

La Jolla

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Re “Eight ways to beat the heat,” Current, June 11

Daniel M. Kammen advocates the use of ethanol as one way to combat global warming. Fermentation is the normal way of making ethanol. Carbon dioxide is a major byproduct of fermentation. Carbon dioxide excess causes global warming.

JOHN E. BOYDEN

Sierra Madre