Letters to the Editor: Don’t alienate climate-conscious Republicans. We’ll need them to save the world

To the editor: I understand climate-change columnist Sammy Roth’s wariness of the Republican Party. (“Meet John Curtis, the Utah Republican who cares about climate change,” column, Jan. 18)

As a climate activist, I’ve felt the sting of disappointment often. But the hard fact is, we’re on a sinking boat, and unless everyone grabs an oar, we won’t make it to dry land. Rep. John Curtis, the Utah Republican whom Roth profiles, proves that progress is possible.

Climate denialism, once so common in Washington, is now almost taboo. Even outside the chaotic halls of Congress, there’s reason for hope. According to the most recent Yale Climate Opinion survey, 72% of Americans think global warming is happening and 74% want to regulate carbon dioxide emissions.

But deep grass-roots support for climate policy can’t happen if well-intentioned liberals insist on alienating their conservative counterparts. Real change, the kind we desperately need, can only come when everyone is rowing together as if our lives depend on it — because they do, as recent record-breaking floods have demonstrated.

Xander Bernstein, Reseda

..

To the editor: Kudos to Sammy Roth for his excellent article on Rep. Curtis’ efforts to push the Republican Party toward climate action.

Unfortunately, the article misses the elephant in the room: Former President Trump believes climate change is a hoax, and most Republicans are unwilling to even talk about tackling climate change so long as he is the party’s leader.

By a wide margin, Americans accept that global warming is happening. Even the fossil fuel and automobile industries recognize the need to transition away from our heavy reliance on fossil fuels.

Sooner or later, Trump will lose his stranglehold on the Republican Party. Hopefully, Republicans will replace him with more enlightened leaders who accept the need to address climate change.

Jim Hartung, West Hills

..

To the editor: When will more people understand that the sheer amount of extreme weather here and around the world is exactly what scientists have been predicting will happen with climate change? (“SoCal sees two ‘thousand-year’ storms within weeks. More could be coming,” Jan. 25)

This isn’t just global “warming”; rather, it’s the disruption of climate norms, making our weather patterns less normal and more and more often veering into extremes. In your article, climate scientist Marty Ralph says those extremes can cause a pervasive feeling of “weather whiplash.”

There are many solutions to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. First, we need more people to understand the full impact the disruption of climate will have on their lives. Next, we need them to vote in elected officials who understand the urgency of the crisis.

And, those elected officials need to take strong action supporting solutions to protect us. It’s election season, so please get out and vote — and vote wisely.

Melissa Waters, Laguna Niguel