I really appreciated your article about the
plight of Phoenix (HCN, 4/16/07). I think it is clear that climate
shifting is occurring rapidly. Rather than arguing about the causes
and about how to diminish carbon burning, it seems more fruitful to
look at the anticipated consequences, and develop reasonable
policy, behavioral and legislative responses. Even if people do all
the things the experts suggest, we are not going to make it cooler
quickly. Maybe we can arrest the rate of change, but we are in a
warming cycle.
The Northwest will be drier. Montana will
have more fires. Ski season will be shorter. If there is not going
to be more water in the Southwest, should any more people move
there? How about legislation that by 2015, private swimming pools
must be decommissioned, and all pools be public and private group
places? (What a community builder!) Or, by 2015 all homes must be
re-plumbed to allow use of graywater on the mandated water-wise
gardens, and on the vegetable plots we will all need to plant in
order to cut down on petroleum products used to transport food? Or,
by 2015 no one will be allowed to commute more than five miles to
school or work unless on public, mass transportation, or
bicycle/foot? We have to allow some time for policy to shift
because of the major lifestyle adjustments required, but if we wait
until there is no water it will cause even more social disruption.
I am not pleased that certain island countries and
coastal cities will be flooded, but instead of trying to turn the
clock back, would it not be more productive to look ahead, and help
those persons productively relocate rather than joining the refugee
community when it is too late?
Liz Rantz
Missoula, Montana
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline A global warming reality check.
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