A Change in the Climate
Kudos to J.J. Goldberg for pointing out in his June 1 column, “Biggest Election Issue? Planet’s Survival,” how critical climate change is for the future of the world, and that this should be a major issue in the presidential campaign.
The view that we are rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe is reinforced by a strong consensus of climate scientists as indicated by hundreds of refereed articles in respected science journals, by dire warnings from science academies all over the world and by the major increase in the number and severity of storms, floods, heat waves, droughts and wildfires.
An important factor to consider related to Goldberg’s article is that Mitt Romney and almost all Republicans are in denial about climate change. Because of this, the conservative group Republicans for Environmental Protection was able to endorse only about 4% of Republican candidates for Congress and governorships in the 2010 midterm election. Conservatives who think that climate change is a hoax promoted by liberals should check REP’s website (www.rep.org).
Richard H. Schwartz
Prof. Emeritus, College of Staten Island
New York, N.Y.
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
