This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Re "The hottest year: Time to end climate change denial" (Our View, Jan. 10):
By calling for an end to climate change denial, The Salt Lake Tribune asks our community to address what history will recognize as the defining issue of our time: human-caused climate change.
Unfortunately, denial of it is still rampant, especially among our politicians. They have been successfully targeted and influenced by the fossil-fuel industry and many conservative policy organizations.
For example, last Dec. 12, Sen. Orrin Hatch replied to an inquiry of mine, claiming "actual observations show that the Earth's climate has cooled since 1998."
This erroneous assertion has been traced to an article in a British tabloid, The Mail on Sunday. Several recognized experts have since debunked this myth, but those who wish to deny the science continue to quote it.
Unfortunately, Hatch is not alone among our politicians who have been misguided by the denial industry. Our politicians need to hear from citizens.
With the record-shattering heat of the past year, this is the time to write to your representatives. Send them a copy of the editorial. Ask them to begin working for solutions.
David Folland
Sandy