Climate debate about government's role, not science

Letter-writer Monte Heil promotes a common myth — that climate science is unproven. To counter this misinformation, I encourage reading “The Scientific Guide to Global Warming Skepticism.” It’s available online and provides an excellent summary of the lines of evidence that have led 200 science academies throughout the world, including the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, to conclude that climate change is human-caused.

In reality, however, the climate debate isn’t about science — it’s about the role of government. Many conservatives dismiss evidence of climate risk because they fear that acceptance of this evidence will lead to greater government intrusion in our lives. Science is a proxy debate.

Ever wonder why we don’t we see scores of angry letters claiming that HIV doesn’t cause AIDS? It’s because that scientific conclusion doesn’t threaten deeply held values.

In his book, “The Constitution of Liberty,” Nobel Prize-winning economist and libertarian Friedrich Hayek writes: “Personally, I find that the most objectionable feature of the conservative attitude is its propensity to reject well-substantiated new knowledge because it dislikes some of the consequences which seem to follow from it.”

How much wiser it would be to acknowledge the problem and offer bold, effective limited-government solutions.

The climate threat is real. Let’s urge our members of Congress and business leaders to work together and move our world forward on this critical issue.

TERRY HANSEN

Hales Corners, Wis.