Letter: Koch’s Jan. 24 commentary – again

I also read Sandra Koch’s opinion in January, but my takeaway was substantially different from Lisa Partee’s. Koch was laying out facts relative to the damaging and costly effects of climate change. She was identifying a problem: climate change.

The same problem that the vast majority of environmental and climate scientists have been warning us about for decades: climate change is real and the excessive greenhouse gas emissions from our fossil fuel consumption/combustion are the cause.

Check out what NASA or NOAA has to say. Koch was also pointing out that in the past we addressed atmospheric problems that we created. We need to do this again and now.

The “large white lines” that has Lisa alarmed are contrails, condensation trails. They are visible due to the condensation and freezing of the water vapor from jet exhaust. But the problem with jet exhaust is the volume of the greenhouse gases that contributes to the global warming and the changing climate.

Air traffic only accounts for about 10 percent of the greenhouse gases from the transportation sector, which explains the “push” for vehicles that are less polluting.

After looking at the 2010 committee hearing that Lisa references, I don’t believe that jet contrails are anything more than exhaust gases.

It is imperative that we address climate change in every way possible, as Koch stated. We must not delay. Contact Sens. Cortez Masto and Rosen and Rep. Amodei, tell them to introduce and support the Energy Innovation Act.

Rob Bastien

Carson City