Climate question is a culture problem

Michael Barone claims that we’ve reached the “never mind” moment on climate change, quoting Bill Gates and others who say the situation isn’t as bad as scientists have predicted, so carry on, keep burning fossil fuels, don’t worry, be happy.

I could respond with a mountain of evidence to the contrary, but I know that wouldn’t get through to Barone. Put another way, this isn’t a brain problem, it’s a heart problem. Or more accurately, it’s a culture problem. We are raised to believe we are entitled to take all we can from this planet. We are masters of our domain. The golden rule does not apply when it comes to nature. Furthermore, we’re encouraged to “live for the moment,” ignoring any obligation to your descendants. And besides, we’re smart — we’ll figure something out. Guys like Bill Gates come along all the time — they’ll find a solution.

I keep thinking of a quote by E.B. White: “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.” I wonder if Barone would be able to tell the Inuit people of Alaska whose houses are floating away due to the melting permafrost, “never mind.” To quote another great man, James Baldwin, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced”

Janet McDonnell

Arlington Heights