Responding to Barbra Streisand's Commentary on Climate Change...

     Editor's note: One of my clients is singer-songwriter Joyce Rouse (a.k.a. Earth Mama) whose mission is to save planet Earth one song at a time. She's helped open my eyes to climate change and its negative impact on the world around us. My late grandfather (on my Dad's side) was an avid Republican, and my late grandmother (on my Mom's side) was a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat. Thus explains why I'm stuck somewhere in the middle on the political spectrum. I'm the coveted "independent voter" (part of the swaying 7 percent) that presidential candidates target for advertising. Something tells me my grandfather (an "Ike" Republican) would have agreed with me on this issue.

     An an "in-betweener", I fall a bit progressive on the issue of climate change (global warming). Here's my response to commentary recently penned by Barbra Streisand. You can read her article at www.BarbraStreisand.com.

     I might be wrong, but I believe one reason most Republicans deny mankind's impact on climate change is pride stemming from their dislike of former Vice President Al Gore. (I can hear the feathers ruffling.) Add to that the fear that addressing this serious issue might hurt the fossil fuels industries, eliminating jobs. Yes, there will be a transition. And that won't be easy, especially in a state like West Virginia. Change can be hard. But it's critical to move quickly to reduce our dependency on coal and oil.

     It took 10 years to land a man on the moon. With that kind of determination and leadership, this crisis can be solved. Clean, renewable energy (wind and solar) is the answer. Even natural gas (which we have in abundance) would be preferable for the short term. It emits 50 percent less carbon dioxide than coal when burned.

    This morning, I read a startling article in USA Today. New studies in the journal Science reveal that although human population has doubled in the past 35 years, the number of invertebrate animals such as beetles, butterflies, spiders and worms has increased 45 percent during that same period. Most Republicans (and some Democrats) have their heads under oil barrels. They'd better come out of the fumes into reality before it's too late... for all our sakes.