The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Dear Editor:

Last week’s column (Turn America’s innovators loose on greenhouse gases – Don Brunell)

began with a limp denial of the consequences of greenhouse gases and proceeded to use decades old unscientific information from around the world to, as far as I could tell, justify the author’s faulty claim that innovation in America is being stifled by his catch-all word, “government”.  On the contrary, America’s entrepreneurs have never been busier at inventing new products as have other global innovators living under other governments.  The barrier to success is massive corporate misinformation and ruthless profit seeking which deliberately undermines well intentioned attention to risks and problem solving. The much-discredited notion that new unproven technology will singlehandedly get us out of our serious circumstances continues to be used by commentators who refuse to acknowledge a mixture of history and profound moral and civic issues.  It is well documented that we already have the tools to moderate the direction of climate changing events—see “Drawdown” edited by Paul Hawken-- and certainly can tap our deep will power to do so if we can honestly assess where things stand and build bold leadership.  The devastating consequences of unprecedented droughts and failed food harvests are driving human migrations and brutal wars causing economic upheavals and will continue to do so until rule of law and humane policies are implemented. Such actions require compassion and the highest ethics exceeding current behavior by politics and business, sometimes appearing to be one and the same, combined with using those best technologies.  Young people understand this and we owe them and their future our best efforts. It is easily forgotten but we all ultimately govern, a word derived from the Greek meaning “to steer,” well or badly every day of our lives.

Terry Lawhead

Waitsburg