I have survived into my 70s without getting involved in politics. But last week I found myself in the marble halls of Olympia. Why? I am astounded that apparently intelligent, well-educated politicians can avoid doing anything about man-made climate change, the biggest threat to mankind in my lifetime.

I was with the Act Now Coalition, who wanted to talk to our representatives about a state carbon tax. The 5th District Representative Jay Rodne was gracious enough to give us some time. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very productive as Rep. Rodne is a climate denier. He doesn’t believe the science of man-made climate change is settled. And he says he isn’t a scientist, so how could he judge the issue?

No country has promoted and benefited from science as much as the U.S. No doubt, despite not being a scientist, Rodne accepts the science of the Internet, septic tanks, cancer therapy, car radios, ice cream makers and gravity. I’m sure I could find a handful of eccentrics with science degrees who believe the Earth is flat. Would Rodne then have to question that the Earth is round because he isn’t a scientist?

Rodne is an unfortunate victim of the disinformation campaign orchestrated by the fossil fuel industry that sweeps under the carpet the over 97 percent of climate scientists around the world who agree climate change is real, caused by humans, happening now and dangerous. A parallel is the tobacco lobby making us believe cigarettes weren’t bad for us long after the science was settled.

Solving the climate crisis and transitioning Washington State to a 100 percent clean-energy economy is possible and in the state’s best economic and environmental interest. It is not an exaggeration to say the future of civilization hangs in the balance — delaying action on this issue is nothing short of criminal.

Come on, Jay Rodne, you can do better. Over 80 percent of King County residents disagree with you (Yale Program on Climate Communication). Many of them are your constituents and are increasingly unwilling to accept your obfuscation.

Merv Montacute

Fall City