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Regarding Nancy Carr’s letter ("Fear industry loss, not climate change," Dec. 12), it is unfortunate that many people want to pick-and-choose their own set of facts, especially when it comes to science and our environment.

Ms. Carr is correct that carbon dioxide is one of the raw ingredients for plant growth and that – all else being equal – more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere should lead to greater plant growth (including weed growth). However, all else is not equal.

More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enhances the natural greenhouse effect, heating the climate system. Plants suffer increased stress when temperature rises, reducing plant productivity – imposing major consequences on Nebraska’s agricultural economy. Furthermore, as carbon dioxide levels and temperatures rise, plants require more water – water that will be increasingly scarce as evaporation also increases with rising temperatures.

Ms. Carr has it reversed – scientific scrutiny has provided us the evidence for the human causes of recent climate change and any political fabrication comes from the denial of this scientific evidence.