Jan. 8, 2026 6:30 AM PT
To the editor: As 2025 officially becomes one of the three hottest years on record, what will compel us to collectively act on the climate crisis (“2025 was one of three hottest years on record, scientists say,” Dec. 30)? When I express to friends the moral imperative to protect the futures of our grandchildren and their children, I am told that the threat is too distant and hypothetical.
Our focus is on affordability, so here are some economic impacts associated with the climate crisis: From 2020-2024, we experienced an average of 23 billion-dollar climate disasters per year. The estimated cost of last year’s L.A. fires is $250 billion. California home insurance costs are projected to rise dramatically as a result.
Our energy bills are increasing twice as quickly as inflation. The cheapest, most quickly constructed sources are solar and wind. Yet we allow China to far outpace us in providing the world with renewable energy products and clean automobiles, giving up American jobs. For those not feeling the moral imperative, perhaps the pocketbook will be compelling enough.
Michael Selna, Huntington Beach