To the editor:

Some people may be aware of the various feedback loops that are affecting our climate. But it appears as though not enough people are aware of what’s happening or have some kind of misunderstanding of what’s happening. I will attempt to clear things up by explaining some of the feedback loops.

The warming we observe as being directly linked to the gases produced by the excessive burning of fossil fuels allows the air to hold more water vapor. And, as pointed out by Mr. Phil Drietz, water vapor then heats the planet even more which allows the air to hold even more water vapor.

This heat then melts permafrost which releases the massive amounts of methane stored in the once frozen ground. This massive amount of methane also contributes to warming, helping to melt glaciers in the mountains and poles. This massive amount of water is increasing the surface area of water on our planet, decreasing land area. The extra surface area then allows for more evaporation, and more water vapor ends up in our atmosphere, further heating our planet.

All of this extra heat energy combined with the extra water in our atmosphere is already creating weather systems that are more powerful and less predictable. And they will continue to become more powerful and less predictable as our planet continues to warm.

A lot, about 25-30%, of CO2 ends up being absorbed by the oceans, as Mr. Drietz helpfully pointed out. What he doesn’t tell you is the concentrations of CO2 are getting so high that our oceans are becoming more acidic, threatening many forms of ocean life. He also doesn’t tell you that water expands as it warms, meaning higher ocean levels and less dry land.

This is by no means a complete telling of what’s happening, but hopefully examining some of the feedback loops a little closer will help people understand what’s happening with our planet and why the folks who understand what’s happening take this matter so seriously. And hopefully more people will understand why nations around the world are taking urgent action to address this.

Anthony Studemann

Marshall