Some people aren’t persuaded that humanity is causing the earth to warm in ways that are harmful. There is the persistent question of whether to believe the 97 percent of scientists who are convinced by the data or the 3 percent who aren’t.
Exxon can give us the answer. They make billions of dollars every year, and people are saying that we need to use far less of their products to secure our future. Exxon employs excellent chemists, geologists and engineers. What are they going to do?
They’re going to go through the evidence from top to bottom. If they think there are experiments that would show that global warming isn’t happening, they are going to get them done. And in fact, they have done this in the past.
There was a time when Exxon sowed doubt about the data. But they didn’t show us any contrary data. And now they admit that climate change is a major problem that requires action.
If Exxon is worried, we should worry — and act. The best way to attack climate change is with a steadily rising price on carbon with the money returned to families as a dividend. It will reduce our CO2 emissions while preserving opportunity.
Steve Glaser
Holladay