We cannot ignore climate change

To the editor:

The March 26 letter to the editor 'Climate change is a scare tactic” seems to beg for a rebuttal. On reading this article, the question we need to confront is, it is true, partially true, or purely propaganda? Letters that are purely propaganda favor a particular interest group and ignore or discredit any evidence that weakens their argument. This particular letter certainly appears to favor those who have a vested interest in our current energy structure.

I suspect most people, me included, have neither the background nor the inclination to investigate and analyze the scientific evidence that supports climate change. Regardless of this, we are very aware of many recent and unprecedented weather-related anomalies. We don't need to be experts to know that the Cedar Rapids flood of 2008, Hurricane Sandy, the wildfires in the western U.S. Hurricane Katrina, severe droughts, etc. are not ordinary, and pose a real threat to our own self-interest. It is irresponsible to assume that events of this sort will not continue. The question then becomes, why so many recent weather catastrophes? The best qualified among us seem to agree that the answer is climate change.

Robert J. Boes

Ely