Dear Editor:

“The energy department produces no energy, let’s get rid of it.”

The above point was mentioned in an article published (11/23/17) by the Downey Patriot last week. I disagree wholeheartedly with that idea. Why? It does not make sense.

Energy is the lifeblood of this country and our society, and the role that the federal government plays in managing it is crucial to reduce our dependency on oil and other carbon fossil fuel sources.

With the catastrophic climate changes that we are experiencing in different parts of the world on a regular basis, we need to unite all our efforts to find solutions to global warming or we will destroy the world as we know it.

The mission of the Energy Department, that the writer is suggesting to eliminate, “is to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.”

We know that during the last 200 years we have had more CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) than thousands of years before the industrial revolution (1860). 

Before the Industrial Revolution, there were 250 (ppm) parts per million of CO2 in the air. Now it has reached 450 ppm.

We have the technology to solve this problem and we must for the sake of our children and our grandchildren.

What we need now is the will. Citizens’s Climate Lobby (CCL) is working for a common sense solution and is helping put together a bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus with Democrats and Republicans, because the earth is not a Democrat or a Republican.

The Energy Department should not be abolished as it has been suggested to save money for the rich. On the contrary, we need people and more resources to tackle global warming issues.

The time is now.

Guido Rivero
Downey