Len Frenkel of South Portland paints a dire picture of our future (“As warming threatens planet, humans will have to make sacrifices,” July 31). According to him, we can either fly or not, buy unnecessary things or not, have a second home or not, have another child or not, and so on.
He concludes: “If we do nothing, children and grandchildren around the world will pay the price for our inactions.”
I personally find this way of framing the argument to be a bit deceptive. Mr. Frenkel writes as if there is some chance we will stop flying, stop buying unnecessary things, and so on. But there is no evidence any of that is happening, or will happen.
Therefore, it is more honest to simply say: We will continue to fly, buy unnecessary things, have second homes, and so on. And since we will do nothing, children and grandchildren around the world, as well as many other species, will pay the price for our inactions.
Better to face the music than to hope or pretend there is some chance our behavior will significantly change before it is too late. It never has and it never will.
William Vaughan Jr.
Chebeague Island
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