It is good to know that President Obama is taking global warming/climate change seriously. On his three-day trip to Alaska, he is, as the headline proclaims, warning of “climate change catastrophe.” May his words fall on receptive ears, and his “powerful visuals” have the desired, motivating effect.
For me, though, his actions speak more loudly than his words. Just weeks ago, the Obama administration awarded the final permits for Shell Oil’s arctic drilling. Either he doesn’t see the clear and present danger in that action, or he is talking out of both sides of his mouth.
For some, though, actions and words align nicely. Just three weeks ago, 21 youths aged 8 to 19, filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon (Case 6:15-cv-01517-TC), asking the court to force President Obama and other defendants to take action to prevent irreversible harm to the plaintiffs.
Dr. James Hansen, former NASA climatologist and author of “Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity” (2010), filed a brief in support of the plaintiffs, including his granddaughter.
I call that matching words to action.
Jackie Minchew
Everett
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