Your Opinion: Climate change tipping point nears

Dear Editor:

Get on your computers and go to climate.nasa.gov, co2now.org, climatecentral.org, 350.org, climateark.org or any of their links. I mowed my weeds and dust the other day - no lawn to speak of. All you have to do to understand climate change is go outdoors!

There's a failure of national leadership with Republicans and Democrats concerning climate change. Democrats will, of course, use the issue, to the extent that they can hit the Republicans over the head with it. But when push comes to shove, they don't want to address it any more than Republicans. Both parties need the money and blessings of the petrocrats to get elected.

America has, in fact, reduced its carbon footprint a little bit. But countries like China, India and Indonesia have increased their CO2 levels so much, that it cancels out our modest improvement.

Now consider the international fight over drilling rights in the melting Arctic Ocean! The Artic Ocean has melted to the point that soon the Northwest Passage and Northeast Passage will be seasonal shipping lanes. The same petro-political knuckleheads, who insist there's nothing wrong with the climate, are the same ones who want to go to the Arctic Ocean (our planet's air-conditioner) and "Drill baby Drill!"

The Obama administration, unbelievably, has decided to go ahead and give oil companies leases to start drilling in the American Arctic Ocean. Once again, when it comes climate change, the only difference between Republicans and Democrats is their rhetoric. Again, it's not just the leaders in our country, what you are seeing is a frightening lack of global leadership.

We're nearing a dangerous climate tipping point. Once we pass it there is no going back. When that does happen, our useless government leaders will start their typical ranting and chest beating and, of course, start looking for scapegoats. To be assured, they'll point at you, the average Jane and Joe, and tell you it's all your fault because you didn't recycle your Styrofoam cups and Ding Dong wrappers - don't let them get away with that! Hold their feet to the fire! (Pun intended.)

I failed to mention one global leader who has finally stood up courageously on the climate issue, Prime Minister Angela Merkel of Germany. She has shown much more intestinal fortitude than our male chiefs-of-state on this planet. Let's just hope they follow her lead.

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