Low level high priority

The climate change debate continues. Democrat contenders for the party’s nomination for the presidency presented their views on the problem in a long town hall on CNN last week.

The proposals and the suggestions varied.

The presentation was one of the most extensive reviews of options and ideas about combating climate change.

The issue is taking a lead position in the upcoming campaigns. Few are discounting it as a “hoax” or “fake news.”

Of interest are the efforts to get broad policies in place to help combat the perceived threat to the world.

Also of interest are the many disparate efforts from numerous fronts that take a part of the problem and try to solve it.

Right now, legislation is in the works in three states (Washington being one of them) to limit and outlaw the use of natural gas in new commercial and residential construction.

This movement takes the efforts to curb climate change to a whole new level.

Natural gas has long been considered a transition fuel, one that would bridge the gap between a carbon based economy to an economy based on only renewable sources. Natural gas was viewed as less destructive and less damaging to the environment.

The concern is that leaking gas and unburned gas is more damaging to the environment that carbon dioxide, the long demonized by product of burned fossil fuels.

The effort is gaining traction around the United States.

Individual efforts will meet strong resistance as it is one step beyond the current efforts. It also defies the very real fact that the current power grid cannot be supported by renewable energy sources alone.

Ideas such as this are far reaching and seem extreme at this point, but the good sign is that despite federal reluctance to take on the problem, other entities are seriously considering what they can do to combat encroaching climate change. Both public and private institutions are becoming more and more aware that something must be done to alleviate the problem.

Climate change is more and more a topic of conversation with the general public and organizations that may be able to affect some changes. Voters put it high on their priority list for most important issues.

It is an idea and cause that will grow and force awareness upwards, until, hopefully, it becomes a national issue which will be addressed at the highest levels.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher