Climate conundrum

“Venice’s historic Jewish ghetto floods as new tides rise,” November 17 is the latest wake-up call to the reality that the world is rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe.

You have recently had articles about the severe wildfires in the Amazon, California and now Australia. The world continues to warm up — last June was the hottest June and last July was the single hottest month ever since temperature records have been kept.

Seas are rising, glaciers and polar ice caps are melting, coral reefs are shrinking, deserts are expanding, and droughts, floods and other climate events are becoming more frequent and severe. Many climate experts are warning that unprecedented changes must soon occur if we are to have a chance to avert a climate catastrophe.

Your reporting helps increase awareness that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a major societal imperative.

RICHARD H. SCHWARTZ, PH.D Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island

The world is getting hotter and drier. Every decade since the 1970s has been warmer than the previous decade, and worldwide temperature records were successively broken in 2014, 2015 and 2016. This year is projected to be possibly the warmest year on record.

“A boiling forecast: Israel faces alarming news about extreme heat due to climate change,” (July 7) indicated that Israel is in for far hotter weather, as “Israel’s current climate trajectory is a two to three degree Celsius rise by 2050.” This, according to the article, would result in heat stress; sometimes extreme heat stress, for much of the year,

“Study: Earth warmed faster in the last few decades than the previous 1,900 years,” (August 4) warns that the world is rapidly heading toward a climate catastrophe.

On a constructive note, let’s think of things we can do to ameliorate the situation: plant a tree or even put a flowerpot on your balcony! Plants are natural air purifiers and we need as many of them as possible! Grow your own vegetables or tea leaves, avoid plastic disposable bottles and all other polluting wrappers, be careful with our use of energy and water. God helps those who help themselves!

BATZION SHLOMI Afula