With Continued Denial, Threat of Climate Catastrophe Remains Real

In a recent interview, Donald Trump said that if he returns to the White House, on the first day he would be a dictator and would use his power to close the Mexican border and drill, drill, drill.

While drill, drill, drill, as well as closing the border, was meant to excite his political base, it would translate into increased carbon dioxide emissions at a time when scientists have confirmed that 2023 was the warmest year recorded, and for the first time at an international climate meeting the countries of the world agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. Trump and his excited base are out of step with much of the rest of the world and appear to be detached from reality.

While Trump and his base may feel in their gut that everything is fine and dandy with the climate, the stark reality, according to most climate scientists, is that the world remains on track to reach a temperature increase of about 3 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. If that occurs, it is predicted to eventually result in 10 to 30 feet of sea level rise, mainly from melting ice sheets on Greenland and West Antarctica. Such a catastrophic increase in sea level would inundate coastal cities, towns and villages around the world.

And if Trump actually is able to put his drill, drill, drill policy into effect, 3 degrees Celsius might be too low a projection. Enough drilling and four-, five- and even six-degree increases could be reached, turning the world into something unrecognizable and far less habitable for humans.

And with nearly all Republican politicians, including a number of House members from New York acting as enablers of Trump instead of doing what is best for this country, the possibility of a global climate catastrophe remains very real.

Robert Liebman
Mount Kisco

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