This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
More scientists seem aware of the political reality of climate change, as there's a March for Science this Earth Day. Why have they waited until the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is over 400 parts per million, while the threat has been known since before it was 300 ppm? Don't get me wrong, protest has a role in policy debate. A huge effort was required to change the previous administration's stance on Keystone XL, but most scientists were silent. Many said they didn't want to jeopardize funding.
The March for Science's stated mission is championing for robust funding, but time is up for researching climate change. There's a scientific consensus. When James Hansen addressed Congress in 1988, we could have protected our planet by reducing emissions 1 percent per year, but after decades of silence, it's increased to 7 percent. To safely make this transition, many economists and politicians support legislation putting a modest price on greenhouse gas pollution that steadily rises and to refund the collected fees equally to every American citizen.
Perhaps the marchers could take public stances by sending letters to the editor and to our representatives to generate the political will for this step towards a safer, cleaner energy future.
Kevin Leecaster
Salt Lake City