Editor, The Times:
The first time I was introduced to Gwynne Dyer was through his series “War,” which was broadcast on the CBC.
Since that time I’ve attended at least three live talks by Dyer (even shook the man’s hand), enjoying them very much indeed!
I sincerely hope he is wrong this time (Sept. 1, Kamloops This Week column, “Climate creep and American Frogs.”)
In the column, Dyer wrote, “At least a decade ago a retired general at the Bangladesh Institute of International Studies said to me the rich countries will never take climate change seriously until some very big and apparently climate related disaster happens in a first world country.”
He then goes on to say, “Hurricane Harvey is not that disaster.”
Oh boy, what is it going to take? The loss of Miami, as Gywnne Dyer suggests?
Already Exxon Mobil and the Koch brothers have mobilized through their various think tanks (which no doubt include the Fraser Institute) to deny climate change.
Then, of course, there’s that “Prince of Disruption,” Donald Trump undoing anything that the Obama administration did in relation to climate change. The bright spot here, as Dyer points out, is, “… the U.S. does not bulk as large in the climate change equation as it used to.”
In the meantime “American Frogs” will sit in the pot of slowly heating up water.
Maybe they will jump at the last moment?
Dennis Peacock
Clearwater, B.C.
