Letter to the Editor 11/22/2013

To the Editor,

While the Nov. 19 editorial “Poor relief efforts in response to Typhoon Haiyan necessitate student support, commitment to humanitarian aid” was apt in its encouragement of students to assist in the Typhoon relief effort, the article took the common and narrow approach of addressing the proximate problem without looking at the ultimate cause.

While we cannot blame specific natural disasters on greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change, countless studies indicate that global climate change is occurring and is leading to an increase in the number and intensity of hurricanes. Therefore, disasters such as Typhoon Haiyan will continue to increase in frequency. Though it is vital to provide aid in the aftermath of such events, our primary objective must be to curb our emissions.

Impoverished countries such as the Philippines are disproportionately affected by the results of climate change, despite having a per-capita carbon dioxide footprint 18 times smaller than ours.

The Pitt News article stated “It’s our obligation and responsibility” for us students “to contribute to the national and global humanitarian effort,” and this is true to a much larger extent. It is not merely enough for us to send food and medicine in response to natural disasters. Instead, we must recognize that we contribute to the prevalence of such disasters and accept the responsibility to drastically change the way we address global environmental catastrophes.

Sage Lincoln

Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences