We've had a mild winter in central Virginia this year. Yesterday, the high temperature was 75°F. Today, the high temperature is predicted to hit 84°F. It's been warm for weeks. Cold at night, of course, but only into the low 30s and occasionally into the upper 20s.
They say the earth is getting warmer. I have no trouble believing that. Every year, I begin mowing the yard a little earlier. I have a "ski jacket" hanging in my coat closet. But I don't ski. There was a time when winters were so cold that I needed the ski jacket to stay warm. I haven't worn it in 20 years.
I have a hooded parka hanging in my coat closet. It's like something you'd see in photos of polar explorers. It kept me warm in snowy weather. Like my ski jacket, it's now unused for years. I'm sure I'll never need to wear it again.
The earth is getting warmer and it's not going back. We humans have sealed our fate. The earth will continue to get hotter, the ice caps will continue to melt, and the oceans will continue to rise. Croplands will turn to desert, rivers will shrink and dry up, and cities will become heat islands that are unfit to live in without air conditioning.
Is it impossible to turn the clock back? No, in theory we can do it. In theory, humans could make a Herculean effort to undo the damage we've done before it becomes permanent. But we won't do it. Because humans are very clever but not so wise. Humans are motivated by many things. Emotions like greed, lust, and hunger are on the list, but wisdom is not. Or perhaps wisdom merely ranks below the other drives.
This week, some parts of the USA are being battered by arctic temperatures and blizzards. "Where is the global warming?" one might ask. Those storms are merely weather. They're not climate. Climate is measured all over the world, in both hemispheres—not just in the US Midwest. Climate is what is happening in the long term, not what is happening this week.
Ironically, winter may send my city a snowy day this Saturday, with a 50 percent chance of "wintry mix." It won't be cold enough for snow that sticks to the ground like a winter of old, it will just be a messy mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain that will be gone by the next morning. It will be a lame imitation of winters of old. It would be nice to have another deep snow before I pass into the next realm. But maybe they have snow there, too, along with all the things your heart desires.
No. On second thought, I'm fairly sure there's no snow where I'm probably headed.
2 comments:
Hello!
Times are changing, weather is changing, environment also; everything is changing is this world.
We humans want the best for each other but not considering what is needed in order to keep us alive. The planet is getting warmer and warmer. I have seen millions of plastic in the oceans, trash spread everywhere. People don't care anymore about what is happening.
I feel sorry about this. I wonder what my grandchildren will see and feel in a few years, that really scares me.
But to be honest, I love spring and I can't wait to see it and feel it. It makes me feel alive.
Thank you for sharing this post. Very nice.
TA
Greetings
Great post --- I remember the days when Al Gore spoke about global warming -- but few listened. I wonder how he knew so much in those days.
I watch a lot of shows about Alaska -- the people living there talk a lot about how different the seasons are now compared to times past. They explain how it happens and how it's a chain reaction that affects everyone even the animals.
I think the only way to slow it down is for civilizations footprint to reduce -- but most of us common people are not making those decisions.
It really doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where this is going -- but it takes a rocket scientist to convince those with no vision !!
Love the post.
Best, LL
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