Climate change denial costs us

Guest columnist Tom Harris (“New report counters climate scare,” Sept. 16) claims illogically that the purpose of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is to scare people. Harris and the other three men listed as experts are all associated with the Heartland Institute, which put pictures of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and Charles Manson on billboards that said, “I still believe in Global Warming. Do you?” Harris, having spent part of his career in public relations for fossil fuels companies, understands scare tactics.

The three co-authors of “Climate change reconsidered” all have ties to the fossil fuel energy industry. Climate modeling, criticized by Harris, has proved of much predictive value and continues to improve. It is just part of the scientific investigation into climate change. Theories in science are advanced through combining evidence and testing hypothesis. I find many of the skeptics like to pick and choose and isolate evidence for their case.

Harris also attempts to scare people with the argument that restructuring our energy infrastructure is not worth the massive cost.

There is much to gain by improving our energy grids and making them smarter, incorporating new energy sources, and redistributing or decentralizing energy production. Planning ahead will actually lessen costs and disruptions in the future.

Denial of climate change today costs our children tomorrow.

Bruce R. Bachmann

Cedar Rapids