This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Tribune Editorial Board wishes to instill fear in its readers with the "Paris to Salt Lake" editorial Dec. 17.
There is always going to be climate change. We have had five major ice ages. Climate surely changed during every one of them. The current ice age started 2.58 million years ago. Since it began, there have been cycles of glaciation with ice sheets advancing and retreating on 40,000- and 100,000-year scales called glacial periods. What caused these ups and downs? The sun (variations in solar output), Earth orbital changes, meteorites and volcanoes.
Man? What great gall to take credit for an impact on these cycles! Why should we waste our hard-earned money for a hoped-for infinitesimal small change in temperature? Carbon tax and other governmental restrictions placed upon our entrepreneurs should be examined closely. Our competitors China, India and Russia give lip service to reductions in CO2 and other gases and do nothing to stop their pollution!
We must continue to work on cleaning our air, but we must not penalize ourselves to a point where we can't compete. So let's not fear all these things the Trib listed. Let's just continue to work hard and overcome obstacles we have the ability to overcome. Our life expectancies continue to go up, so it stands to reason that in the past we have done the right things and we should continue along those courses.
George Ekdahl
Salt Lake City