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Environmentalists not out of touch with reality

Duncan - I read with interest the long letter by Glenn White in Friday's Citizen.

I thank Mr. White for recognizing that most environmentalists are truly committed to what we do.I don't question the facts he presents, but I am surprised that he describes environmentalists as being out of touch with reality.I can remember a time when many people smoked cigarettes in restaurants, airplanes, offices, pubs, and other confined spaces.Then when we learned that second-hand smoke was poisoning everyone, and especially our children, there was a movement to change the rules.Despite dire warnings that change would destroy the hospitality industry and wreck the economy, the practices were prohibited.As with smoking, there is no question that our excessive burning of fossil fuels is poisoning the air.Our children and other living things will pay the price for our wastefulness as they struggle to survive the climate chaos that has already begun.We all need to be in better touch with reality.As a community and as individuals, we can choose to modify the way we live on every level, from avoiding the drive-thru to changing government policies. We have an opportunity, both individually and together, to do the right thing, or we can continue as we have been doing, letting our children and grandchildren pay the price for our carelessness.John Scull Duncan