Thank you for publishing your bold editorial drawing a clear line between weather-related disasters such as Marshalltown’s July 19 tornado and the growing evidence of human-caused global warming.

Exactly 50 years ago, in December 1968, at the end of a very troubled year, and during the Cold War space race, three astronauts in Apollo 8, orbited the moon for the first time. Just before firing rockets to return home, one of them pointed a camera toward a colored marble-like object floating in dark space. It was the earth, bright and beautiful. Reading from Genesis, millions of fellow-humans on that globe heard the words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” It was Christmas Eve.

With determination and ingenuity humans have reached into space. However, our home base, the earth as it is in 2018, continues to be troubled. Our God-given home is warming at an alarming rate. Scientists and leaders across the globe agree that the cause is the release of carbon dioxide and other pollutants due to human activity.

To prevent our shining and beautiful earth from being further tarnished and damaged by human carelessness, requires determined commitment by everyone to substantially mitigate careless and destructive activities. The Scripture quoted by Bill Anders, Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, the Apolo 8 crew, is from the first chapter of Genesis which also declares that human beings are called to be stewards of creation.

Your editorial said it so well: “Climate change is happening and it’s affecting us now. If we want to protect future generations from mass devastation, we need to act.” Thank you.