Letters to the Editor: These storms will be worse with climate change. Cut fossil fuels now

To the editor: “Unparalleled,” “unprecedented” and “once in a lifetime” are how our current swath of storms and weather-related troubles are being described. Apparently, we have still not absorbed the reality of climate change and how it increases the odds of our experiencing weather extremes.

Yes, climate scientists will tell us — because they are careful to not claim more than they have determined — that we should not rush to attribute any one event to climate change. But they add that by heating up the atmosphere we are increasing the energy that drives our climate system, with the inevitable result that weird and destructive weather is becoming the new normal.

If we don’t get off fossil fuels, and quickly, we are on track for even worse. The public must understand this and demand that our leaders confront climate change with the appropriate urgency.

Grace Bertalot, Anaheim

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To the editor: Louis Sahagun’s article regarding the monumental snowpack in the Eastern Sierra was very informative and also a good read.

Talented journalists who not only tell the story, but also rely on a lot of factual information, leave one with the satisfaction of being well informed by a trusted source. The excellent photos added depth.

Margaret Stevens, Whittier

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To the editor: The snowfall in our local mountains and the subsequent rescue efforts are a window into our disaster preparedness.

At least 13 people have died in these mountains in part because of the lack of emergency equipment and disaster relief workers. I have seen lots of volunteers with shovels doing what trained workers and machines should have been doing.

Reading about this, something occurred to me: What would happen if the “Big One” finally hit? What if it coincided with a similar snowstorm? We do not seem to be adequately prepared.

Do we have the equipment and trained workers to go into action faster than what happened in San Bernardino County? The answer seems to be no. We will be left to fend for ourselves. Many will die because of this lack of leadership and preparedness.

William P. Carroll, Carlsbad