DATE: Monday, September 15, 1997            TAG: 9709150067

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:   93 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR -THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT- NORTH CAROLIA

Perhaps the single most important issue to face the citizens of rural, coastal, low-lying areas like Dare County over the coming decades will be the potential impact of global warming. There is substantial scientific evidence that for the first time in the history of mankind, human activity has actually begun to alter and influence climate on a global scale. As we consume hydrocarbon fuels we produce carbon dioxide, and the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has increased about 20 percent in the last 100 years to 350 parts per million. The levels of other so-called ``Greenhouse'' gases have also dramatically increased. These gases let in sunlight but tend to insulate our planet, like a greenhouse, against the loss of heat.

Recorded weather data over the past 100 years suggest that the average ambient temperature has increased by about 1 degree Fahrenheit. This does not appear to be significant, but it was only about a 7 degree Fahrenheit change which brought us out of the last ice age, and the average ambient temperature has not been 4 degrees Fahrenheit higher than today's for over 100,000 years. If ambient temperatures continue to increase, some scientists are predicting apocalyptic results, including sea level rises of about 3 feet over the next century, greater incidence of tropical cyclones (hurricanes) and droughts over interior continental areas.

The more ardent environmental advocates, including the Sierra Club, have taken these predictions to heart and are advocating governmental actions which would radically alter our economy, lifestyles and living standards. These actions would include dramatic reductions in the consumption of hydrocarbon fuels, tighter government-imposed energy efficiency standards and the imposition of taxes on energy use.

If we knew the future with certainty, these actions might be correct and warranted. But our planet is very resilient, and we do not know the future with certainty. The computer models used by scientists to predict the future climate patterns are far from perfect and do not capture all of the complex variables involved in the climatic processes. For example, increasing temperatures could lead to increasing cloud cover and larger amounts of dust in the air. These factors could reflect more solar radiation and mitigate the impact of the greenhouse gases.

If the ardent environmentalists capture the legislative ears in our statehouses and Washington, D.C., we are likely to see legislation which dramatically changes our lives. On the other hand, if the environmentalists do not make their case and the apocalyptic forecasts are correct, much more of Dare County will be under water and the remainder will be largely uninhabitable. Our best and perhaps only hope is for a resilient Earth which resists and mitigates through natural forces the impact which mankind may have on our climate.

I would urge the citizens of Dare County to familiarize themselves with this matter and to urge our legislative leaders to act prudently and not precipitously in addressing this issue. We need to encourage further study and to make sure we have no other choice before we bite the ``poison pill'' and alter our economy, lifestyle and reduce our living standards.

J.M. Booth,

Kitty Hawk

Politics in Dare County has been such a bummer this year: the absurd school bond referendum and the ongoing school system fiasco, the ``Gang of Four'' county commissioners ramming through a 17 percent property tax rate increase on its citizens, and now a dubious water deal. It is a depressing state of affairs. But sanity has prevailed in Kill Devil Hills, and it is noteworthy and commendable.

What brought this uplifting realization was a trip to the Town Recycling Center. ``Wow,'' what a change for the better. The place is cleaned up, fences installed around the perimeter for screening, grounds mulched, and a worker there to help you unload. The result is a much more user-friendly facility. It was great to see significant progress toward an ideal facility. While driving away I recalled that this was not the only positive development this year in Kill Devil Hills. Other significant decisions affecting us have taken place: retreating from the ``pie in the sky'' town administration building, a reduction of our town property taxes, and ``standing up to the pressure'' by not supporting the county's proposed water deal.

KUDOS TO ALL THOSE RESPONSIBLE.

Now, what's this about a zoning change in Kill Devil Hills to accommodate a time-share development?

Doug Brown,

Kill Devil Hills

Thank God for ``school spirit'' in general, and for the ``School Spirit '97'' included in the Aug. 24-31 edition of The Virginian-Pilot.

Having seen a few of our area high school students evolve into people of quality, it makes older adults proud to be a witness to their young views and contributions to a society that desperately needs cooperative direction and a show of responsibility.

For the most part, our young adults are so knowledgeable. So capable.

Here's to their future. May the world be a happy and better place, for and because of them.

Ann Marie Parlette,

Kitty Hawk

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