It is clear as glass our adaptable democracy is one of humanity’s successes but, when broken, glass shatters into countess pieces. We are close to shattering our environment. If we do, democracy will fall close behind. Earth itself has a disease never before experienced by humans, global warming, due to our carbon burning addiction. As an engineer, I understand that global warming — unchecked by new and massive human effort — will cause billions, yes billions, of people now living in mid latitudes to die of heat and starvation.

Those billions will not die quietly and submissively while we primarily white North Americans and Europeans slowly, too slowly, diminish our destructive energy ways. Worldwide violence and confusion will result.

The fortunes it will cost to reverse warming must be acknowledged and accepted. Strangely, there has been little discussion of the massive employment and construction booms necessary environmental action will require. Yes, it will be expensive. But it will employ and enrich millions. Done with conviction it will make energy technology our friend, not our downfall.

We have today an American administration (Trump) in denial of climate disaster and actively eliminating diversity programs like solar energy which could wean us from carbon. If we are to have human survival and world peace we must turn away from his environmental disregard. Our time is wasting.

Phillip Davis
West Gardiner