‘Everyone else that matters’ is all of us

Results of COP28 provide hope that the people of planet Earth can save ourselves from ourselves, despite Mr. Franke’s November 27 letter that said the U.S. is on a fool’s errand when “everyone else that matters” is doing the opposite.

Countries at COP28 including India and China (cited by Mr. Franke for the most egregious fossil fuel expansion) agreed to transition from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner. (For more details on the agreement, look for follow-ups to the Dec. 12 Daily Herald article by the Associated Press.)

Yes, COP28’s agreement needs funding and enforcement, and yes, we need measures beyond fossil fuel abatement. But let’s address the “us vs. them” tone of Mr. Franke’s letter. People are wired to sort the world into us and them, but we are also wired to expand our definition of us, under certain conditions, says award-winning journalist Amanda Ripley in her book “High Conflict, Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out.”

COP28 results indicate 2023’s record-breaking heat across the globe is just such a condition.

Amy Hartsough

Hoffman Estates