To the editor:

I read George Will’s comments about climate change, and had to wonder where he got the chutzpah to comment on the subject. As far as I can tell (from a quick search) he has some expertise on politics and political theory (a Ph.D.), but none whatsoever in the area of climate change.

He puts together apparently irreconcilable statements from the mid-1970s and today, apparently in an effort to show that climate scientists don’t know climate change from a hole in their hats. I suppose it didn’t suit his political purposes to consult a few climate scientists. He says that climate change is No. 20 of 20 concerns according to a public poll. He is apparently Will-ing to have it remain there.

Meanwhile the Earth is warming, faster than scientists predicted. Curiously, this warming, if it goes far enough to flood the North Atlantic with fresh water from glacial melt (and thus shut down the Gulf stream) will bring much, much colder winters to northern Europe and possibly to New England, too. Will’s column (Journal-World, Feb. 16) is ill-informed at best. Me, I’m no expert in climate change, either. However, I do read on the subject.

Mark Larson,
Lawrence