EncorE PErformancE

FRIDAY, JUNE 23 City Opera House - Front Street tickets: 231.947.2210 OldTownPlayhouse.com

Do Wetlands Matter?

As an avid birder, I visit many wetlands. All manner of natural life is attracted to these seemingly unproductive and vast tracts of open spaces. I find solace in our wetlands.

Any astute observer of nature can see a disheartening truth: Biodiversity languishes in decline. The undeniable culprit is our (improper) human conduct. To recklessly despoil these intricate systems, created over centuries, is undeniably rash.

Those who dedicate time to immerse themselves in nature will understand this symbiotic bond. We perceive wetlands as our ally, not our enemy. Life pulsates in an intricate web of interconnections, woven within a fragile, shared existence. Tugging at these delicate threads will swiftly unravel the very tapestry of life itself.

Is it not infinitely wiser to embrace nature as our partner? What finer ally could humanity ever hope to support?

Bruce Bodjack | Traverse City

Skeptical about the Skepticism

Climate-change skeptic Neal Stout (May 8, 2023) asserts that “By burning fossil fuels, humans similarly help to replenish atmospheric CO2 after the concentration of this essential molecule got dangerously low (180 ppm) during the last glaciation.” Increases in CO2 caused by burning of fossil fuels has indeed enhanced an increase in forest growth, which, in turn, has reduced atmospheric CO2 by a significant degree (Haverd, 2020, cited by Stout).

However, Stout does not discuss the fact that increasing levels of CO2 (and other greenhouse gasses) also increase longwave infrared radiation reaching the Earth’s surface, where it is causing dangerous warming.

Stout’s skepticism about increased global warming is suspect, considering the vast scientific evidence indicating accelerating warming. NASA scientists have published graphs showing levels of atmospheric CO2 for the last 800,000 years. Ice Age levels of CO2 were about 200 parts per million (ppm), and warmer interglacial levels were around 280 ppm. By 1950, CO2 levels reached 300 ppm for the first time in recorded history and currently are above 420 ppm. NASA also found that 2010-19 was the hottest decade on record!

A source cited by Stout on the beneficial nature of CO2 is Patrick Moore, senior fellow of the Heartland Institute. The New York Times describes the Heartland Institute as “the primary American organization pushing climate change skepticism.”

In his letters, Stout cites climate-change deniers supporting his anti-warming arguments. However, these so-called “experts” are untrustworthy because they are paid to cast doubt on the reality of global warming. The Heartland Institute dispenses payments provided by groups with a compelling interest in confusing the public about the link between warming and fossil fuels that increase atmospheric CO2. Their efforts are then used by conservative politicians to justify opposition to legislation intended to curb global warming.

James Hopson | Traverse City