Letter of the week: Global warming is real

Global warming issue

The verdict is in. Global warming is real and irreversible. The question is, Can we tame it in time to save ourselves?

If any living thing is to survive the heat, the drought and the loss of food and essential species, we must begin worldwide planning now. Everything must be on the table: coal-burning, deforestation, pollution, water and energy.

President Barack Obama is trying to convene all nations to share in planning our future. The crisis is immediate. We are decades overdue in this enormous endeavor. Congressional support is essential.

Please call the White House at 202-456-1111 and Congress at 202-224-3121. Urge all parties to cooperate.

Unless we start planning now, Earth — and humankind — and all we hold dear will perish prematurely for lack of competent management. If we fail, the Earth could with surprising speed become as lifeless as Mars.

Margaret A. Hogan of Kansas City is a retired mathematics teacher. She taught in the Shawnee Mission School District from 1943 to 1981. Her interest in the universe, nature and conservation was stimulated by the students who passed through her classes.

This story was originally published September 21, 2014 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Letter of the week: Global warming is real."