To the Editor:
It puzzles me that a Floridian (i.e. John Shewchuk) would deny the scientific consensus of human-caused climate change when his home state is experiencing rising ocean waters attributed to global warming, the major cause of climate change. According to the US Army Corp of Engineers, sea level is expected to rise about 15 inches above current levels by 2045 in Miami-Date County. “We need to realize that sea level rise is happening (and) take that into account in county infrastructure projects.” — Rebeca Sosa, Republican, Board of Miami-Dade County (Staletovich 2015).
The solution according to the Union of Concerned Scientists? “This is an opportunity for Miami-Dade to be a national innovator, breaking new ground on two fronts: preparing for sea level rise and reducing global warming emissions.” Why the latter?
In its Fifth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of 1,300 independent scientific experts from countries all over the world under the auspices of the United Nations, concluded there’s a more than 95 percent probability that human activities over the past 50 years have warmed our planet. To be specific: the industrial activities that our modern civilization depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to 400 parts per million in the last 150 years.
Fortunately, a practical, economically-based solution has been introduced into the House of Representatives: The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. By implementing this carbon fee and dividend approach, the US would lower emissions by 40% in the first 10 years, create 2.1 million jobs also within ten years and provide an annual dividend of 3,456 for a family of four.
Best to admit the reality of scientifically accepted climate change so we can actually do something about it before it floods the state of Florida.
https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/04/miami-dade-sea-level-rise-tidal-flooding-fact-sheet.pdf
Suzanne Moynihan
Milwaukee, Wisconsin