Opinion: Don’t confront drivers of gas-guzzling SUVs about climate change — talk to them about it instead

To the editor: I applaud Virginia Heffernan’s piece exhorting all of us to stop blaming and arguing with people who don’t agree with us on climate change. (“Stop playing the climate blame game. We’re all responsible,” Opinion, June 7)

I am a volunteer for a group proposing that the U.S. levy a fee on fossil fuel and then return all the money to American families. Nonconfrontational dialogue is baked into our group’s DNA. We even role play to practice options for conversation that avoid accusation and instead try to find common ground with those who would seem at first glance to disagree with us. It’s surprising how often it works.

Almost everyone understands that we need to stop harming the planet, but no one wants to be called out in derogatory terms. Let’s get beyond the blaming. We can make the planet great again if more of us start pushing in the same direction.

Edward Dignan, Long Beach

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To the editor: Given overpopulation’s importance, Heffernan is right to discuss it.

Per-capita consumption is another low-hanging fruit. The good news is that we’ve reached the point at which renewable energy is now cheaper than dirty energy. And electric cars are not only significantly better cars, but they are now cheaper than similar internal combustion models.

Our problem is that people are not adopting the technology fast enough. If you care about climate change, if you care about pollution that kills millions each year, if you care about wars for oil, then you must switch your home’s electricity to renewable energy, and you must switch your car to an electric vehicle.

And just in case it matters to you, much of the political spending from dirty energy goes to President Trump and the Republicans.

Paul Scott, Santa Monica

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To the editor: I’m puzzled why anybody would be tempted to blame “the gas-guzzling, flyover-country suburbanite” for climate change when President Obama, former Vice President Al Gore and Leonardo diCaprio each contribute infinitely more to the problem with their private jets and giant homes.

On the day I see one of them living in a home as small as my 1,150-square-foot house and with air conditioning bills lower than mine, perhaps he’ll convince me he believes in climate change with all of his heart.

And I must add that Trump is only the most recent president who is a hyper–consumer of airplane fuel and water for golf courses. His predecessor scored pretty low in those categories as well.

Brendan Powers, Orange

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