‘Kool-Aid’ complicity?

Dear Editor:

The Advertiser publishes letter after letter that casts doubt on the reality of human-caused global warming/climate change.

I am guessing the justification for printing these letters is defending “freedom of speech” and “balanced journalism.” By printing letters and opinions on climate that haven’t been fact-checked, your paper stands on shaky moral ground: it sends a message that you are complicit with all the climate deniers who have drunk the fossil fuel industry’s Kool-Aid that keeps people doubting that it is happening.

And doubt leads to inaction and paralysis on an urgent issue that is already having horrifying consequences on our Earth – and all our children and grandkids. There is much more destruction to come, but by pulling together on workable solutions, we can still leave them a livable planet. But that depends on one crucial condition: we take this crisis seriously and act with urgency now - as if we actually loved them and cared about their futures.

Evidence for man-made global warming has reached the highest level of scientific certainty – gold standard. Despite what the fossil fuel billionaires would like us to believe, there’s not a shred of doubt remaining about this, and the Advertiser would be doing all of its readers a great service by reflecting this truth in its letters section, and everywhere in the paper.

Liz Armstrong, Erin

(Editor’s note: The Advertiser does not print letters denying human-caused climate change, but our readers have debated Canada’s role, the merits of a carbon tax, timing/urgency and other related issues. We fact-check as best as possible; readers are free to evaluate sources. We do not indulge climate change deniers, nor do we endorse calls to silence those with differing opinions).