Climate: Old thinkers ought to listen to the young
Re: “US Treasury chief takes swipe at Thunberg: ‘Who is she?’” (TNT 1/24).
At the recent Davos forum, Secretary Steven Mnuchin stated that Greta Thunberg was in no position to give advice on climate change as she had not yet been to college.
This after Thunberg pleaded that nations need to reduce use of fossil fuels to mitigate the climate crisis.
“Who is she?” he asked. The answer: no less than Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, a voice that inspired a worldwide climate march of over 4 million last fall.
A voice now pleading on behalf of a billion animals perishing in the bush fires of Australia. A voice exclaiming “Our house is on fire!” as droughts, floods and other extreme weather events give proof that the climate crisis can no longer be denied.
A voice speaking on behalf of future generations, demanding a livable world.
As poet Robert Frost once wisely said: “Now when I am old my teachers are the young.”
Chuck Jensen, Tacoma
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 1:43 PM with the headline "Climate: Old thinkers ought to listen to the young."