I wish the climate was not changing. I wish there was no drought causing gigantic wildfires to burn forests, range lands, houses and towns. I wish the polar ice was not melting, causing wildlife to be decimated and raising the ocean levels endangering our coastlines.

I wish the ocean temperatures were not becoming too warm to sustain fish and sea creatures. I wish the hurricanes and tornados along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico were not becoming worse, causing almost total destruction across huge areas. I wish we did not need to be concerned about snowpack in the Wallowas.

I wish millions of refugees around the world were not desperately trying to escape starvation and the ruin of their homelands.

In a conversation last week I expressed concern about the changing climate and was met with the typical put-down: “Oh, well, the climate has always changed … there was the ice age …” and “it doesn’t mean that humans are responsible for the changing climate.”

Being a former teacher, I started to explain the scientific facts involved and that the preponderance of scientists say the changing climate is due to human behavior. But I stopped and went on about my business because I was obviously being ignored.

So I am sad, not because someone will not listen to me, but because too many people refuse to pay attention to scientists. Last week, three scientists in their 80s and 90s were awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. They had spent their lives studying and observing climate change and a variety of scientific disciplines and related their observations to human behavior.

Almost all credible scientists understand and share their knowledge about climate change, agreeing that because some of those issues are caused by human behavior, some can be changed by humans.

There are some changes we can make so that the planet can sustain life beyond 2050. I have made some changes in my personal lifestyle, and I am willing to continue to accept more changes. But it would take everyone to be willing to make changes in their lives, not just a few, for our great grandchildren to have air to breath, clean water to drink and agriculture to sustain life.

Wishing it was not true is not a solution. An unsubstantiated belief that climate change is unreal does not keep it from happening. It is late, but we can save our planet if we get to work. Please do not take my word for it or the word of your local politicians. Read and find out for yourselves.

Evelyn Swart

Joseph