Fragile Truce?

While visiting my dad in Arizona, I spent most mornings reading the local rag - The Arizona Republic. Everyday there seemed to be an article related to the environment - a welcome surprise. Unfortunately, most of them were pretty wishy, washy. But it is a mainstream paper in a Republican state, so I guess that's progress. I wrote the following letter to the editor based on a cover story about climate change and the Southwest's drought. It didn't get printed - too radical and negative for a mainstream paper I suppose:

I appreciated The Republic's coverage of climate change (Sunday, November 25) and how it is already affecting Arizona. But I had to shake my head at the opening paragraph which describes how rising temperatures are breaking-down the water-delivery system and “upsetting a fragile truce between people and the dry land they inhabit.” What truce? Humans have taken what they want from the land with little regard of the consequences. That's why we're in this mess.

Every action has a reaction. It's the first law of thermodynamics. You cannot have 7 billion people on the planet clamoring for the resource intensive American lifestyle without major repercussions. And that's exactly what's going on.

There are no easy fixes. Until our society grows-up and realizes life-styles will have to change, the problems will only get worse. We can conform to the laws of physics voluntarily or the ecosystem will force us to do so against our will. It's our choice.