Letters to the Editor: Climate change means there is no more paradise on Earth — even in Maui

To the editor: Now that much of the historic town of Lahaina on Maui has been destroyed by wildfire, does everyone realize that nowhere on Earth will ever be paradise with climate change? We’ll have a combination of immediate and long-term hell.

I guiltily live in comfort looking for convenient ways to cut down on my carbon footprint. Mea culpa.

Soon Maui will rebuild, and I hope housing support for native people will be at the center of that effort. The island needs more than just expensive retirement homes and tourist accommodations for those who can afford them.

The focus on pursuing profit has increased global warming at the expense of the healthy, stable climate needed to rebuild a sustainable paradise.

Im Jung Kwuon, Porter Ranch

..

To the editor: The fires in Maui are a reminder that we have known about the devastating effects of carbon emissions for many decades but have done virtually nothing about them. Our political leaders are too afraid of angering consumers and wealthy investors to make any significant changes.

There are many actions we could take, but it would require sacrifices by everyone, regardless of how much wealth they have accumulated.

We need wholesale changes in our infrastructure in how we produce and distribute food, water and electricity. We need to move away from private ownership of automobiles for people living in metropolitan areas.

We have an important national election coming up in 2024, and the two leading candidates have assured us that they will keep the status quo. They will both be dead in 20 years or less, while the younger generations will be stuck dealing with the mess we created.

What we need now are solutions, not culture wars. The future is happening right now, and we have wasted too much time already.

Brent Trafton, Long Beach

..

To the editor: In April 1989, my pregnant wife and I experienced six days of solid rain on Maui. That pretty much wiped out our first trip to Hawaii.

We were determined to see Lahaina Town up close, so we took the self-guided walking tour in a pouring rain, and we learned a lot.

Now that it’s gone I doubly appreciate our effort that day. Too bad the rain couldn’t have held off until August 2023.

Warren Cereghino, Pacific Palisades