I’ve lived in Southern California for 50 years. Only recently have I needed A/C

March 19, 2026 6:10 PM PT 1 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . p]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix mb-10 md:max-w-170 md:mx-auto" data-subscriber-content> To the editor : I’ve lived in Laguna Beach for more than 50 years and not until the last few years have my wife and I needed air conditioning. Previously, we just opened our windows and refreshing Pacific breezes swept in. We now use our electric heat pump to cool our home during heat waves. Many of our neighbors, similarly, are finding the need to install cooling systems as coastal temperatures rise. With the current Southland heat wave in mind, we hoped for cooler temperatures by driving up the coast to Big Sur, from where I’m writing ( “Dozens of temperature records shattered across SoCal as historic March heat wave sizzles on,” March 18). But the hot weather seems to have followed us. In the 50 years our family has been coming up to this iconic coastal dreamscape, we’ve never experienced spring weather this boiling — in the mid-80s. To dramatically curb the carbon emissions heating the planet, Congress must put a polluters fee on the fossil fuels endangering a livable climate. Advertisement Tom Osborne, Laguna Beach More to Read Voices Letters to the Editor: Volunteer crews could fill the LAFD’s deadly gaps in resources March 17, 2026 Voices Letters to the Editor: I served in Vietnam, and I don’t remember the protests fondly May 8, 2024