Letter: Climate hope

To the editor:

Two media events collide. We watch “Making North America,” PBS. It condenses eons into seconds. Then we trek down to the Lawrence Public Library, Nov. 16, for Craig Wolfe’s Sierra Club presentation. Three billion years in development get wiped out in less than 100 years, resulting in devastating worldwide changes.

I suggest either mass suicide or a national program of tranquilizers in our water supply.

People won’t talk about it. It’s too hopeless. Fossil fuel corporations vs. agreement on legislation to suppress greenhouse gases. Greed vs. politics. We need clear-headed brotherhood, and hope.

Craig knew he was preaching to the choir. Thirty climate activists filled the room. But what I’ve found: If we tree-huggers cannot agree on a solution, how can Congress or the Paris Climate Conference?

Every city, state and country has developed its own complicated sustainability agenda. Lawrence’s is about ten pages, California’s is 1,000 pages. Yet we have an often-cited remedy: a carbon fee. Simply gather $15 per ton of CO2 at the wellhead, and return this to citizens, monthly. Even Enron expects this! It will create jobs in renewables and require less government, not more.

I always pick up lost pennies for their reminders of hopeful history. There is Abe Lincoln, facing east. Do not look behind you, Prez. And “In God We Trust” symbolizing our need to get in touch with brotherhood, love of each other and our earth.