With regards to Senator Gaines' opinion piece “Dimmer Switch On Freedom Lowered With Compact Fluorescent Bulbs,” in the Jan. 14-17 weekend edition of The Tahoe Daily Tribune, I have a question to ask Senator Gaines.

Why do conservative Republicans, like yourself, continue to deny the possibility of catastrophic climate change?

Because of politicians like you, America is trailing the rest of the developed world in technologies that will help prepare us for the future changing climate. As you mentioned in your piece, even China is leading us in green technologies.

Most, if not all, scientists are predicting major environmental upheaval if the average temperature of the earth rises just 2 degrees Celsius.

Replacing out-dated and energy wasting light bulbs with CFLs is a small step in the right direction. Don't Republicans care about their children enough to give them a livable planet on which to raise their own children? Or is the dollar and the “freedom” to continue to use an antiquated technology like the incandescent light bulb so important that you just don't care?

We residents of El Dorado County and the Lake Tahoe area are surrounded by such beautiful and fragile natural wonders, yet we continue to elect politicians to represent us who show such an obvious disregard for the environment.

Amazing, truly amazing.

A disgusted resident of El Dorado County,

Jim Dickinson

South Lake Tahoe