In the letter ‘Climate change panel’s edits’ (The NEWS, May 27) Stan Gauthier outlined political engineering of the intergovernmental panel’s report on climate change, which in my opinion is absolutely correct.
I believe that governments can get away with minimizing the potential effects on all humanity that a warming world will bring because people in the great majority want to deny that at some time, in the near or not so near future, their lives will be torn apart, diminished and curtailed by the foreseen and likely changes to climate that will come.
For 30 years before the start of The First World War of 1914, many learned individuals and groups for and against an armed conflict of empires, constantly warned the future combatants and the so thought independent nation observers, that steps must be taken to prevent the potential tragedy from occurring or to ensure that their side was victorious.
To no avail.
The threat of war was good for business. Most believed that it would always be deferred, that common humanity backed by the needs of business would make the start of a great war impossible.
When the war started then the belief fostered by all the participants was that it could only last a few months. It would be a war to end wars and so on.
I am certain that the majority of people today know that severe climate change with all its consequences is a sure thing. They cling to the forlorn hope that it may never happen or at the final tipping point someone or something will rescue them.
Otherwise, hard decisions would have to be made that would impact current lifestyles. Material things and the gratification of so called wants and needs that can be done without, would have to be set aside for the common good.
People are not prepared to do that.
Tomorrow’s desolation is another day that may not come in their lifetime.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the other world leaders are giving their majority constituents what they want, rose colored glasses that obscure the future.
William Charles Waterhouse
Qualicum Beach