Op-ed by Russell Philbrick
If our children’s children are going to be able to live meaningful lives upon this planet, we must all study and become alarmed about the changes that we have caused in the atmosphere, the ocean and the earth itself during the past 100 years.
Scientists of the world have been nearly unanimous in proclaiming that mankind is responsible for the major changes occurring in our environment. The scary thing is that no one can define the tipping point, when it will be too late for us to take actions that can prevent a level of catastrophe that we cannot change.
There is a tipping point, where a runaway greenhouse effect would completely cloud our sky while slowly scorching every living thing as the temperature rises. Sea levels will rise to flood more than half of the present living space of the world’s population.
We have a sister planet, Venus, where a runaway greenhouse effect occurred. Venus exhibits thick clouds from evaporated oceans and all of the planet’s volatile materials, which surround the planet with thick clouds that result in a typical surface temperature more than 800F.
We are facing an election that is extremely important, if we are to begin the process of developing long-term solutions, by electing those who are willing to learn, discuss and develop plans to protect our future on planet Earth. It is a responsibility of every one of us to evaluate the stance on environmental issues of every candidate before we cast our ballots for president, senators, legislators, governor, as well as state and regional offices. We cannot afford to put off, for another four years, the process of beginning to develop plans for our future.
