Regarding the July 6 letter, “Doomday climate predictions never stop,” the writer cited a few predictions and he questioned their validity. The first one was referencing a show called “In Search Of” that speculated on the possible return of an ice age. This show, although entertaining, also had many episodes on people’s encounters with UFOs, cryogenics and other dubious topics. Not sure I would use it as a credible scientific reference. As for Al Gore’s 1992 prediction of 60% of Florida’s population needing to relocate in a few decades I would agree that it may have been exaggerated but since he wrote that the sea has risen 8 inches. With 7.4 million Floridians (57% of the population in 1992) living within 6 feet of sea level and a normal high tide of 2.5 feet with autumn King Tides adding a foot or 2 to that, tidal flooding of coastal communities is commonplace. So common that city and county websites have whole pages devoted to what they are doing to try to mitigate the flooding and advising residents to not go into the floodwaters because the flooding backs up sewage. They also advise residents to build flood walls to protect their property and install check valves on sewer pipes to prevent back flows. In 2016 the community of Sunset Harbor spent $100 million on a system of pumps and check valves to mitigate the flooding. Al Gore may have been exaggerating but South Floridians are seeing the effects of sea level rise as a real threat and taking it seriously. As for the UN Climate Chief’s recent prediction, the island nations that just got leveled by the earliest Category 4 hurricane ever recorded might be wondering about the validity of that prediction.

Bill Lafley

New Salem