In Response to: Alumni in the News

In The Daily Princetonian Dec. 19, a clarion call is made to reckon with climate deniers educated by or at Princeton (Opinion: “Princeton must face its legacy of educating climate deniers,” by Tom Taylor *21 and Lynne Archibald ’87).

Apparently, Princeton has educated some black sheep, among them, with customary high visibility, persons such as Professor William Happer *64, who can think deeply. 

That is high praise, in fact. Educated persons who do not follow the herd are becoming more and more rare.

In 2022, following win after win in fighting from the climate change high ground, climate change enthusiasts have come to a fork in the road. Vladimir Putin, of all people, precipitated this event. Decarbonization, the prime means of fighting climate change, has brought Europe to the point where death by starvation and freezing are imminent. Already, climate change enthusiasts have shown the resolution and fortitude to take the fork in the road; admitting nothing, while redoubling their waste of trillions of dollars along a failed path.  

Now, we read that those same persons will “reckon with” the Princeton educated climate deniers. If the reckoning is done with the same competence as the climate battle, there is little to fear.

William Hayden Smith *66
St. Louis, Mo.