The Role of the Federal Government in Climate Matters: Isn’t It Obvious?

At my doctor’s the other day we somehow, got into a conver-sation about climate change. He’s a self-professed old-school conservative Republican. I’m not, which probably accounts for our usually staying away from talking politics.

It is not to say we don’t agree on some things in the political realm. For example, we both fret for the loss of civility and the nation’s future should Donald Trump be re-elected.

Like a lot of people these days, we both voted early. I know it hurt him to vote for Biden. However, sometimes you gotta take one for the team.

I like my doctor. So as a gesture of goodwill, I promised to vote for a Repub-lican sometime in the future. The truth is, it’s not much of a sacrifice. I’ve voted and worked for Republicans in the past. I suspect I will again in the future — assuming the Party of Trump goes back to being the Party of Lincoln.

Recognizing my well-honed talents to irritate and provoke when speaking “truth” to power, I thought my promise might offer some assurance he wouldn’t leave things lying about the next time he opened me up.

Although not surprised, I was glad to learn that he values and accepts what the mainstream climate-science community is saying about the causes and consequences of…