Recently there has been much written to the effect that fossil fuel companies are the cause of climate change.
I want to point out that this is not true. Climate change is caused by every person who drives a car, flies in an airplane or uses electricity (much of which is produced by burning fossil fuels).
Fossil fuel companies do, however, satisfy our demand for their products. If we didn’t use their products, fossil fuel companies would be out of business very quickly. However, I realize that not using their products would have a devastating impact on our economy and standard of living, and as a result, in practical terms, eliminating our dependence of fossil fuels would have to be phased in over a number of years.
My main point is, fossil fuel companies do not cause climate change, although they are an easy target. The real cause of climate change is people living on this planet.
As Caesar said to Brutus over 2000 years ago, “The problem dear Brutus is not in the stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings.”
George Brake
Summerland
