Richmond - The Editor, Re: "Worry about empty nets," Editorial, Oct. 18. I applaud you loudly for stating clearly the climate crisis that we find ourselves in. And for stating the important link it has to our extraction, production and consumption of carbon fuels. This is something I know is difficult for corporate mainstream media to do for various reasons. Well done.
More and more media editorials are finally breaking out from their silence with the overwhelming number of extreme events and dire observations of the warming global climate.
It can no longer be ignored. They are also addressing the campaign of misinformation by "skeptics" with bold action like that taken by the LA Times in not echoing blatantly wrong and misleading information or comments on the topic. (See the US Today editorial: www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/10/14/climate-changeglobal-warming-ipcc-editorials-debates/2983979/.) It requires action and brave leadership on the part of our elected lawmakers and government. This will not come unless citizens are aware of the risks, dangers and what our choices are - so that they can demand action and support them in tackling the calamity.
Yes, I too have had a very uneasy feeling with the recent perplexing and disturbing events, which seem to have a vague connection to global warming and ocean acidification. First, it was the starfish dying off around North America, then there are massive moose (populations) dying off continent wide.
Now this week, we hear of the sardines disappearance, and there was the extremely low run this season of sockeye salmon. There is a large ongoing dolphin die off on the east coast. Honey bees are disappearing here and in Europe. This is alarming stuff.
Coral colonies are collapsing and there are massive jellyfish population explosions across all our oceans. Our forests are being devastated by pine beetle and extreme fires. Biodiversity is taking a hit big time.
This reduction is something that has appeared in the past whenever carbon dioxide levels and temperatures have risen to extremes.
The public is just not aware of the connection and the critical risks we face. They also do not realize how pressing and urgent the situation is. Huge effort and sacrifices are need to address the issue. It's good to see the media rising to the challenge, at last.
Paul Magnus
Richmond
