To the editor:

The Democrats are in trouble when it comes to the November election. Thus, they use fear and half-truths and issues taken out of context in effort to change voters’ minds. Blame Putin has been used up, climate change has taken over. I believe in climate change, but just how serious is it?

Trump met our 2025 climate change goals during his administration. China and India plan to build 1,200 new coal fired electric plants to provide quick, cheap electric power to their 3 billion people. I don’t blame them. China states their greenhouse emissions will “peak” in 2030; they plan to be carbon free by 2060. India plans to be carbon free by 2070.

“If human emissions stopped today, the earths temperature would continue to rise for a few decades as ocean currents bring excess heat stored in the deep ocean back to the surface where it would radiate out to space.” (NOAA, climate.gov, Oct 29, 2020)

Why is no one talking about CO2 eating machines, nuclear power (safest, most reliable energy source), nuclear fusion that burns the stored old spent nuclear rods, or hydroelectric power? Because it doesn’t fit their agenda! There are over 12 operational CO2 eating machines in the world and the numbers continue to grow. Switzerland just brought online an industrial scale version eating 900 tons of CO2 annually. Iceland has a CO2 capture plant pulling 4000 tons of CO2 out of the air annually. Plans are in the works for large scale facilities removing over 1 million metric tons of CO2 from the air. The Mars test facility just proved they can make oxygen for our settlers from the CO2 Mars atmosphere. Nuclear plants are smaller, cheaper, and safer than ever. Technology advances will help solve the climate change problem.

China is intensifying “decadelong efforts” to plant billions of trees. In Iraq, limited rain, dropping water levels, increasingly high temperatures have exacerbated desertification. They are following China’s answer. The UN program REDD+ helps countries worldwide (Africa, Middle East, and South America) launch “large scale tree planting” to help mitigate desertification. Our answer — wind turbines, solar, and EVs. Why?

Heat, drought, and floods have always been with us. In July 1942 Smethport had 34.50 inches of rain in one day, 30.60 inches in six hours, a world record. Max temp in July — 111 degrees in 1936 and 107 in 1966.

Our longest drought lasted 68 weeks from July 2001 to November 2002 The Susquehanna river has flooded 14 times since 1810 — 1936 flood killed 100 people, flood waters 30 feet above flood level, affecting 16 states. Even the Native Americans who once lived in the area told of frequent floods.

Leaders, throw out the “not invented here” mentality. Learn from the past, what works today, and use technological advances to “improve” the world.

Arthur Keller

Beavertown