Letter: The political nature of a ‘climate crisis’ - Chico Enterprise-Record

Letter: The political nature of a ‘climate crisis’ - Chico Enterprise-Record

Last summer weatherman Anthony Watts announced a writing contest for college students to discover what they know about the climate crisis. Letter writers from this newspaper predicted that they would just make up a bunch of baloney and tell Watts what he wants to hear. I needed something challenging to do so I sought to win the $2,000 prize.

There were 19 submissions from the U.S., Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand. The Canadian winner and second place entrant from North Carolina seemed to research a term paper that reinterprets historical weather data consistent with Watt’s beliefs. The same baloney, indeed.

I argued that “climate change” was too passive of a phrase. So, as a marketing ploy, “climate crisis” was invented.

A crisis is a situation that needs immediate, decisive and definitive action. Whenever there is a crisis such as a fire, flood or instability in the market, people and the media turn to the government for help. Using the term crisis invokes that the government takes the lead in solving the problem. It’s as if it, not innovative citizens and corporations, has the knowledge and direction.

That’s why it’s political. Democrats want to spend money. Republicans don’t. I’m sure no good Republican would ever accept a $7,500 government rebate for their new Tesla.

Watts obviously denies that we are causing the planet to warm. But, I have never learned what his “take home message” is. Is he suggesting that we shouldn’t spend any effort to pollute less?

— Ted Thomsen, Chico