This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Thanks to The Tribune and Ben Fulton for reporting on climate change in "Climate change solutions go digital" (Tribune, Oct. 3). It is an important topic that does not get the attention it deserves, given the gravity of its consequences. However, I offer clarifications on some sentiments attributed to me in the story.
First, I do care that people recognize the cause of climate change because it is urgent that we do something about it. Fossil-fuel emissions must be reduced dramatically and quickly. However, Fulton is on the right track in that I don't think that failure to recognize the cause excuses resource managers from recognizing the effects and responding to them.
Second, while it is important that resource managers have the "latest and best" information, what I really want is for managers to use it to make better decisions. If actions for water management, species protection or anything else don't consider how climate change may make them less effective, we are squandering time and money and failing to be effective. We can't afford this. I look forward to your paper continuing to take climate change seriously, but I am even more eager to see society take on this challenge.
Lara Hansen
Washington, D.C.