Peril ... Us

Hello Folks,

Yet another rainy/snowy day yesterday – I saw a pack of Moabites heading to the local radio station to lynch the weather forecaster.  It’s been that kind of spring here – much rumoured and much delayed. Global Warming is here ... ah yes ... what does global warming have to do with snow where there shouldn’t be snow .. and no snow where there usually is.

The uneducated set, who don’t read and learn, will use the simple argument that if it’s cold and snowing in Florida – global warming is wrong, a fallacy, a left wing conspiracy to drive an agenda of taxing corporations who are poor environmental corporate citizens and enacting legislation that would require them to change their behaviour – when we know it is their constitutional given right to do as they please – and government needs to not control them but to unleash them.

First the true test of global warming is not snow in Florida in January; to be simplistic here – that’s why it’s not called ‘local warming’.

Global warming is referenced to the average temperature of the earth’s near-surface air and oceans – if their temperature is increasing we have global warming – if they are decreasing we have global cooling.

If global warming or cooling lasts long enough, we will experience climate change. 

Climate change is a change in the normal weather patterns over a period of time – that time could be seconds or millennia.The most sensitive indicator of climate change is glaciers – and whether they are generally receding or generally advancing.

So let’s review what common knowledge to the scientific community is, with respect to global warming and climate change – the average temperature of the earth’s near-surface air and oceans is increasing, the earth’s glaciers are receding, and weather patterns appear to be changing.

Even if we assume that this is a short term condition that will correct itself – doesn’t responsible stewardship of the earth – which the earth’s governments and citizens are responsible for -  require more than a knee jerk response that global warming/climate change is a left wing conspiracy?

We are surrounded by answers to similar questions like this in finance, immigration, healthcare, etc. – and rather than relying on the input of people who live and breathe and study this – we’re exposed to the politics of these issues by people who have never understood the original question to begin with.

We listen to our politicians at our peril; we ignore our scientists, economists and anthropologists and sociologists at our peril ... it’s time for a change ....

To quote from verse 417 of the Krome Koan,

'Never have so few stolen so much from so many to achieve so little'

Hiked into Corona Arch – just off Potash Road – it’s was a good hike – about 500 feet of elevation change – yes, up – and a great hike over slick rock and sand. There was an interesting section of the hike where there were steps cut into the slick rock wall and a cable to hand hold to pull yourself up. That was fine – now you have to traverse about 20 feet to a ladder that has been installed in an 8 foot section of cliff wall to get you to the level of the canyon wall that will lead to the arch.

The problem was that when you walked the 20 foot section to the ladder – it was across an incline of about 20 degrees – but the real nail biter was that this was about 12 feet from an edge – an edge that if you went over, you would drop about 200 feet to a sudden stop – when I crossed that, I just felt that I was walking downhill towards the edge and not to the ladder .... heights just seem to pull at me like a magnet ... towards the precipice ... I don’t know why ... I am always conscious of this and always try to lean away ... that said I always feel like I am about to go over ...

Yes – ‘he’ was out there – heard but not seen – just the opposite of the way my mother wished to experience me ... I have a feeling tomorrow will be a confrontational day ... feathers could fly ... feathers protect a bird from the harmful rays of the sun, rain, and injury to their delicate skin ... I have a feeling some winged menace is going have a severe wind and sun burn tomorrow ... and I am going to have a very comfortable pillow ....

More later,

Phil