Silence convenient for big fossil fuel

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Astronauts typically express awe and even love for the beautiful Earth below while they’re in orbit. I wonder how they feel upon seeing the immense consequential pollution from raging massive forest/brush fires, like the one currently consuming much of Quebec, basically due to human-caused global warming?

I also wonder: If a large portion of the planet’s most freely polluting corporate CEOs, governing leaders and over-consuming/disposing individuals were rocketed far enough above the earth for a day’s (or more) orbit looking down, would it have a sufficiently profound effect on them to change their apparently unconditional political/financial support of big fossil fuel?

We do know, however, that industry and fossil-fuel friendly governments can tell when a very large portion of the populace is too tired and worried about feeding/housing themselves and their families on insufficient income to criticise the industry for environmental damage caused by their policies, particularly if the damage is not immediately observable.

Even as bone-dry-vegetation regions burn uncontrollably, mass addiction to fossil fuel products undoubtedly helps keep the average consumer quiet about the planet’s greatest polluter, lest they feel and/or be publicly deemed hypocritical. It must be convenient for big fossil fuel.

FRANK STERLE JR

Canada