Global warming question matters

I’ve long been a proponent of environmental responsibility both by individuals and businesses. Leigh Boerner contends in the article “Is global warming real?” (Jan. 22 IDS) that we should tackle global warming to help the whole environment. I agree that there are environmental issues beyond the media pet of global climate change. I’ve also openly stated that we should reduce our reliance on things such as cars because it goes beyond reduced carbon dioxide emissions. However, combating global climate change to help the entire global environment without determining if global climate change is man-made could result in terribly inefficient use of resources to enact total environmental improvements. If climate change is not the direct result of humans, then some of the money invested in carbon dioxide reduction will be misspent. For example, if a factory spends money on technology to capture carbon dioxide, it could have used the money to install scrubbers that don’t capture carbon dioxide, but reduce sulfur and mercury emissions. Leigh must also understand that the climate change issue has actually had a negative impact on the other environmental issues. There was a large public outcry against a new Duke Energy clean coal power plant in Indiana that would replace older, much dirtier plants. However, many people felt that the new plant didn’t cut down enough on carbon dioxide emissions and therefore they protested it. This plant is a step in the right direction for the environment but climate change stood in its way.\nLeigh oversimplifies the man-made climate change issue and wonders why the remediation steps have not been pursued. The simple truth is that carbon dioxide reduction technology is expensive. If businesses must spend money on carbon dioxide reduction, it leaves less to pay to employees, less to make investments and less to hire new positions. If we confront climate change, then we potentially face slower economic growth and stagnant wages.\nIf we want a better environment overall, then we must further study the tenants of man-made climate change in order to best allocate our scarce resources. In the meantime, we should continue to pursue those actions that we are certain have an adverse impact on the environment.