In your editorial “The morality of going ‘green’” (CR/May 1), you touch upon several good points about respecting the environment and the wisdom of conservation. You also mention that the poor are the most affected by climate change. You neglect to mention that the poor are also the most negatively affected by many of the programs being proposed to “control climate change.”
It is important to note that many of the doomsday predictions of politicians and entertainers are far exaggerated from the research results of even the most ardent pro-man-made global warming scientists. And yes there are many scientists who do not believe that humans are all powerful in impacting our surroundings, and there are little things like the sun and its variations that have a larger impact on the temperature of the earth than do our very small contributions to the atmosphere.
Whether it is carbon tax plans or “cap and trade” schemes, all of these programs that politicians, former politicians and celebrities are proposing will impact the poor the most. The increased cost to fill a tank of gas, purchase electricity, heat a home or put food on the table will hit the poor the hardest. We have already seen where the move to biofuels, using corn to make ethanol instead of for food, may be behind food shortages in places like Haiti. It is critical that we carefully evaluate all of the impacts of global warming policies for it may well turn out that the cures are much worse than the disease.
I believe it is critical that the church continues to advocate for those with the least influence. It is clear that many people have made a lot of money by claiming to take on man-made global warming. There is no money to be made in standing up against this political movement – only those with a strong moral code will be willing.