If you’re a climate change denier, please read this

Are you still a climate change denier? Please don’t stop reading! Although the effects on us may be relatively minor, now is when we must take action to protect our children and grandchildren from the more catastrophic effects of climate change.

And please don’t call me “Chicken Little.” When Pope Francis had the opportunity to persuade our president (with so many issues to choose from) he zeroed in on one particular issue: combating global warming and climate change. When they exchanged presents, Pope Francis even gave President Trump a copy of his encyclical letter “Laudato Si’, On Care for our Common Home” to read and study.

Besides the Pope, 97 percent of the scientific community and all but one of the world leaders recently attending the G7 agree that we must take action now to save the world for our children, our grandchildren and generations to come.

As Neil deGrasse Tyson has said, “Science is true, whether you believe it or not.” So why should deniers change their minds and become part of the solution? Not because they suddenly got religious or have recently learned how science works. We need you to admit that you care. I know that you care for your family, your own sons and daughters, and your community. Maybe it’s time to widen your prospective.

Nothing changes all at once. But if we phase out the use of coal, oil, and natural gas, we will at the same time be cleaning up the air that we breath and the water we drink. We will never eliminate the use of fossil fuels. But we can lead a revolution in energy technology, which would greatly reduce the negative effects of carbon dioxide and be a boom to our economy while promoting political stability throughout the world.

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 1:49 PM with the headline "If you’re a climate change denier, please read this."