I thought we had long passed the time when we listened to climate deniers express their irrational claims about the causes of rising seas, changing weather, and the impact humans have on speeding up these changes.
By now, I thought that the citizens of Citrus County had agreed climate change is happening. I thought it was settled that most scientists agree that human activities are speeding up these changes. Of course, some people deny man’s part in these changes, but it is dishonest to think that man-made climate impact is not noticeable.
You can watch the results of those climate changes on TV every night: more prolonged and intense heat waves, changes in precipitation resulting in massive droughts in some parts of the country and floods in others, raging fires in the west, melting glaciers and ice sheets, rising sea levels.
Concern was expressed in a recent Chronicle letter about the Netherlands buying farms to meet their climate goals. Unfortunately, the Netherlands is failing to meet the nitrogen standards set by the EU. In the Netherlands, farms are a massive cause of nitrogen. Buying these farms and reverting them to nature will help meet their climate goals and allow native biodiversity to thrive.
The idea of a “one-world government agenda attempting to destroy freedom and consolidate power into an elite few” is a conspiracy theory not worthy of comment.
Let’s move away from opinion. The facts are clear. Climate change is real. We see it daily. Human activity is both causing and speeding up climate change.
Real scientists claim that unless we change our habits, the planet may not be able to support human life. Fortunately, there is no one-world government except in the minds of people who see conspiracy everywhere.
Thomas Mitchell
Inverness