No time to waste on transitioning from fossil fuels
I want to thank Mike Segor for his illuminating response to the mayor’s recent op-ed (“Mayor Harmon’s concern about offshore oil drilling is on the mark,” Jan. 15) As he pointed out, the effects of just 1 degree Celsius of global warming are straining state and local budgets, and we’re looking at 2 more degrees in the pipeline, even if the pledges made for the Paris Climate Agreement are kept.
The unprecedented fire followed by the Montecito mudslide clearly shows how vulnerable California’s hillsides are to the one-two punch of fire and flood.
What would 2 more degrees be like? Predictions made by the National Academy of Sciences is that just one additional degree (of warming) would result in 650 percent more area burned in the Western states. Imagine the world our grandchildren will inherit. We need to support the efforts of our city and state in transitioning away from fossil fuels. There’s no time to waste!
Susan Dodd, Cayucos
This story was originally published January 22, 2018 at 3:51 PM with the headline "No time to waste on transitioning from fossil fuels."