Editor,

In response to R.D. Beachley’s May 14 letter, thank you for your thoughtful, but quite misinformed, response to my letter regarding the urgent need to transition from fossil fuels, which you describe as “insanity.”

Pope Francis, every other religious denomination, scientific organization and 199 countries that met in Paris, and I disagree with you.

You say water is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2, which makes up a tiny portion of the atmosphere. You are correct. But water vapor is increasing due to global warming, hence the news is full of “epic,” “unprecedented” weather events: floods, rain, hail, snowfall, etc. CO2 does make up a small portion of the atmosphere but that doesn’t make it insignificant.

Humans have never lived on a planet with CO2 above 300ppm. It is now at 405ppm. As a result we will likely have an ice-free Arctic this year.

The year 2016 is on track to surpass 2015 as the warmest year on record. That record was previously held by 2014.

We agree that CO2 helps plants grow vigorously, but that includes problem plants also like ragweed, poison ivy and Scotch broom.

But heat kills plants just like it does animals. Global warming promotes diseases that kill forests and damages people, like with the West Nile, Hunta and Zika viruses.

We can’t stop using fossil fuels, but we can phase them out.

We have made similar transitions in the past but we’ve lost decades by protecting the profits of the industry.

Now we are at a crisis, and you say it would be foolish to abandon this sinking ship.

Other countries are.

Portugal gets 75 percent of its energy from renewables and Germany 50 percent. China has a plan to be come carbon neutral by 2030. Meanwhile we debate. Sadly, the state of denial is a land of delusion and disease of the mind and spirit.

Gary Piazzon

UUCWI Social Environmental Justice Council

Coupeville