Stewart's got no humility | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The U.S. military isn't skeptical about climate change's dangers. Adm. Samuel Locklear III, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, stated that climate change was a bigger security threat than China or North Korea.

Yet Rep. Chris Stewart is skeptical that man-made climate change and its dangers are real or worth remedying ("Utah's Stewart skeptical about climate change threat," Tribune, March 20). He asserts that campaign contributions from fossil fuel interests don't affect his judgment.

What does this say about Stewart's values? To me, it says humility is not one of his values.

Stewart admits he is not a climate change expert, yet he rejects the advice of U.S. military experts and NASA scientific experts. His admission that he is not an expert seems to be false modesty.

Stewart takes huge donations from oil and gas interests, but he avers donations don't affect his policy decisions. Only lack of humility could make him think he is immune to the enticing power of money, although many fine leaders before him have succumbed.

In this holiday season of renewal, I pray Stewart allows his humility to be reborn and guide him as our nation confronts the dangers of climate change.

Rabbi Judy Weiss

Brookline, Mass.