Readers React: Are birds the canaries in the climate-change coal mine?

To the editor: It’s encouraging to see the National Audubon Society studying the effects that climate change might have on birds. Groups such as this often protest renewable energy projects like utility-scale solar and wind farms out of concern for animals. (“Half of North American bird species threatened by climate change,” Sept. 8)

Current fossil fuel production causes far more harm to birds, and it is increasingly clear that the long-term effects of climate change will impact all species. It’s time that all such groups see climate change as the underlying issue so we can work together toward a clean energy future.

Kathi King, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: We’re all familiar with the concept of the canary in the mine. Even in today’s modern world, it looks like the sensitivity of birds still offers a unique warning that we would be foolish to ignore.

The threat to this or that bird species is disturbing enough to lovers of nature, but the larger message is that there’s still time to act quickly and with determination. We’ve dug ourselves into a nasty hole by treating our environment like an open sewer, but it’s not too late to beat a hasty retreat.

Brian Bennett, La Verne

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