Combat global warming with new leadership

A recent congressional hearing was concerned with emission standards of motor vehicles. The hearing was precipitated by the application of California for permission to enforce stricter controls than the ones stipulated by the federal government. It is hard to believe the extent of willful manipulation of facts and regulations that our current administration is engaged in. The permission was denied even though it had been recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency. Nineteen other states are seeking similar exceptions, but the administration is not about to budge.

The administration refuses to follow the law, even law laid down by the Supreme Court. The most ridiculous finding that came out in the hearing was the effort of the administration to insist that the molecules of carbon dioxide are different depending on their source. There you have it, a shocking demonstration of the complete absence of very basic scientific knowledge at the highest levels of our government.

In previous hearings it had become clear that reports containing solid scientific information on global warming had been "corrected" by lawyers. These reports had been provided to the administration by renowned scientists. The lawyers went as far as completely deleting large sections of these reports. Such actions reveal bold political manipulation of scientific data. These reports are then used to mislead unsuspecting citizens and as justification for inaction against global warming.

It is no surprise that there are people who treat global warming as a religion rather than as science that it is. They lack the capacity to understand the facts on which the global warming phenomenon is based. Are we in such a sorry state that we have to admit being illiterate in science? Our administration no doubt belongs to that category.

Fortunately we have highly qualified experts, who are ready and willing to dedicate themselves into steering our U.S. ship into the right direction in the battle against global warming. The unfortunate reality is that they have no choice but to wait until there is a change in leadership in Washington.

Maire T. Zakrzewski

Watertown