Denying the existence of climate change is selfish. It shows a complete disregard for fellow human beings and our shared future. When you deny climate change, you isolate yourself in a parallel universe and force your friends and neighbors into an awkward false empathy—similar to how one feels when dealing with someone detached from reality. It’s uncomfortable to discuss the facts when others refuse to acknowledge them.
I write this on the eve of Hurricane Milton’s landfall. At last, not just NPR but other mainstream networks are discussing the real impacts of climate change. Hurricane Milton, dubbed the “storm of the century” for Florida, strikes me as merely an average storm in what is now an average year in our new climate reality. While Ashford, North Carolina, was recently mentioned as a “climate refuge,” the truth is stark—there are no real climate refuges. Every place will be impacted, albeit in different ways. Some locations will endure worse, but no area is immune.
For now, Laguna Beach may seem lucky, spared from the worst. But our community faces growing threats from rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and the increasing risk of wildfires. Europe, Asia, Antarctica, and beyond are no longer canaries in the coal mine—they are disasters in the making.
I urge everyone in Laguna Beach, whether you own a home or are a landlord, to abandon natural gas. It’s the least we can do to help the next generation face a crisis that is ultimately our responsibility. We may not control global forces, but we can take small steps locally to reduce our carbon footprint and ease the burden on those who come after us.
Bryn Mathieu, Laguna Beach
There’s no evidence that there is “climate change” (which was morphed when Global Warming wouldn’t work). It’s all editorial, that liberals use a their religion, which is to inflame everything wrong into a ‘only we can fix it’ mantra. They shout “everything is so messed up”. Yet they’ve had regulatory control for 60 years. Wise up Sir, and stop the rant because as far as I can recall every year there’s been ‘The Storm of the Century”. It’s good for media sales.