736. That’s the number of record highs that were broken this week. 2014 was once then the hottest year on record. Then 2015. Then 2016. And if this winter is the trend, then 2017 possibly?
I came across an interesting article about the perception of this unseasonably warm weather by the Atlantic’s Robinson Meyer. When I am around some of my friends who express delight in this weather (they get excited about running again, eating outside for lunch, going to a rooftop happy hour), I can’t help but think “this isn’t right. Wait until July 2017 where triple-digit temps with high humidity could be the norm in the Northeast. Or crop failures happening all across the world in July 2018 and beyond, with new potential population displacement as water shortages and extreme weather become more normal.” I mean, how am I (and other climate-minded people) supposed to be positive when thinking like that?
That being said, I do hear people having a bit of concern about warm weather in February. They acknowledge “climate change” but do so kind of nonchalantly, like it’s out of their control and there’s little they can do but just continue working and living life. And it makes sense. Nobody really wants to give up their cars, because American life is based on having one. The government is pushing its full weight for the fossil fuel industries. And renewables, although making exceptional progress, are still a smart part of the energy mix and have their own issues (intermittency, still-nascent battery technology, etc…). So people continue doing the usual and leave up the future to a higher spiritual power because they can’t see mankind really giving up what is needed to tackle the drawbacks of climate change.
It’s understandable. Why? Because if we are really talking slowing or reversing climate change (if it is now possible – some scientists think the Earth is past the point of no return) it means potentially drastic changes in society. Thoughts of having a family in the future? You shouldn’t really do that. Love eating chicken or meat? Cut it out completely. It’s really warm and you want to turn on the air conditioner? Better for the environment if you don’t. Eating out? Socializing in the city? You are going to have to scale back, or more so, eliminate them. To many people, this sounds like “I basically have to shut down my life in order to save the planet.” How many of you are going to go for that?
And that’s is why climate change is such a major threat to society as a whole. It’s slowly creeping on people until things get so bad, people actually see it and try to do something about it (individually and on the government level) but then not much can be done because it is too late, and it’s a vicious cycle.
The real question is what are you going to do. What are you willing and able to give up? Can you convince others to do the same?
What are your thoughts about the winter temperatures and your thoughts about how you think the weather and climate will be in the future and its potential impact on your life and your friends and family? As potentially worrisome and depressing it could be, you should ask yourself…
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