Editor:
Re: It’s getting harder to believe what so-called experts say, Community Comment, June 13
Initially, my intention here was to take Greg Hoover to task (a formidable task in itself) for some of his comments to support his position as a self-declared "climate change disbeliever." Then, I took a breath and subsequently offer up this full disclosure with respect to my own personal history of absolute careless ignorance and disregard around energy consumption on all fronts.
This “aging out” Boomer really needs to get this off his chest, so I ask for your indulgence...
Looking back to a great time of growing up in Ontario it seems that almost everything we loved to do as a family and later on my own was supported and enhanced by copious and endless amounts of fossil fuel consumption. Yup, from outboard motors to snowmobiles to motorcycles to tour boats and an endless array of cars and trucks, there was never a thought given to this normal-for-the-day carbon footprint. It was great. My first decades of workaday life were, in fact, centered around the auto industry.
So, how do we (you know, the folks that have been in charge over the past 30-odd years) come to the realization and acceptance that the imminent substantial global environmental changes affecting every aspect of life on our planet have been caused largely by human activities. Furthermore, that said conclusions have been arrived at through diligent and now arguably undeniable scientific methodology?
Well, for starters we face up to our new reality and our (let's hope) awakening. We face our young people head on and we say to them, "We didn't know. We should have known but we didn't. Now, in the relatively short time our generation is going to be in the picture in any meaningful way, let us work together to mitigate, adapt and prepare as best we can. And after that? Well, it will all be on you... and your children."
Tony Dales
