To the editor:

Climate change is a controversial issue but it shouldn’t be. We continue to ignore and waffle because of fossil fuel misconceptions: that they are the only viable source, that it’s so inexpensive and the industry is too big to combat.

Scientists have created a way to turn microalgae into biodiesel, gas, and jet fuel. Microalgae is more effective than traditional agro-based fuels and is healthier for the planet. It would require less water to grow and would generate all our fuel needs. It can be domestically grown and manufactured, creating new jobs and reducing atmospheric carbon in the process.

A lot of people believe that fossil fuels are inexpensive. The problem with this belief is that it fails to account for the indirect costs. In a study by the International Center for Technology Assessment, researchers discovered, if the total costs of fossil fuels were paid at the pump, we would be charged $15 per gallon instead of $3. We pay the difference via taxes and healthcare costs.

Finally, what actions could ever be taken to bring the fossil fuel industry to its knees? Currently universities and some cities, across the U.S., are taking actions to divest their portfolios of fossil fuel based investments. This action is legal, effective, and can be accomplished in five years without any loss to revenue. Divesting was the same course of action taken in the ’80s, in this country, to combat Apartheid in South Africa. This course of action worked then and it can work again we just need the willingness.