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Can anyone tell me if there is still a sun? I haven’t seen it in a couple weeks and I am worried it may have gotten lost somewhere. The skies have been covered with clouds and we’ve had rain. Rain! In December! This is Minnesota, that rain is supposed to be snow. I think the kale in the garden has actually begun growing again. Some of my neighbors’ yards have green grass. The public radio meteorologist says December temperatures are running 10 degrees above normal.
I heard an interview with Ted Cruz on the same radio station the other day. Cruz is a Republican senator from Texas and one of many presidential candidates. He is currently the chair of the Senate subcommittee on Science and Space. In the interview he said, and I am paraphrasing, that climate change is not a threat, that it is something made up by the liberals who want to increase the size of government, increase taxes and create laws that control how we live our lives. I could say so much about how Cruz and his cronies are passing laws that tell women what we are and are not allowed to do with our bodies, but I will just let that go for now.
So it is a good thing that Cruz and other republicans can do absolutely nothing about the Climate Change agreement agreed upon in France. It is far from a perfect agreement and nothing in it will keep global temperatures below 2C, the magic number scientists have singled out as being the point of no return, so to speak. But it is better than nothing. And because it is not a treaty, the U.S. government does not have to vote on it. Unfortunately, they can still make it difficult for the US to achieve a good many of the things we promised to do by not funding budget items.
With the presidential election in November 2016 and a number of seats in the House and Senate up for election, things are going to be interesting as the balance of power is sure to do some shifting. You can probably guess without too much trouble where I hope it shifts to.
Meanwhile I will try to stay positive and do things to keep my stress level and blood pressure low. Like ride my bike trainer. I did 85 miles/ 137 km yesterday! I was tired enough afterwards that I couldn’t have been stressed even if I had tried. Then there is my impending two-week vacation that begins this coming Friday at 4:00 p.m. Bring it on!
Even though the 70,000 people who live on the Marshall Islands are currently planning to move to higher ground in the Fiji Islands because the sea level is rising, I will remember that anything I can do personally to limit my carbon footprint is a positive thing.
Sometimes it feels like being vegan, taking public transit, consuming less, growing some of my own food is pointless because so small in the scheme of things. But it isn’t. Yes, the government needs to make some big changes, but we as individuals don’t need to wait for the government in order to start making changes ourselves. If everyone had two days a week without meat, or didn’t drive their own car a couple days a week, or stopped buying out of season fruits and vegetables, or washed their clothes in cold water, these small things would add up fast. It’s like this really great article says, a single action is like plucking one hair from someone’s head but if you get 1,000 people to each pluck a hair, that someone is going to end up bald.
The Paris climate agreement is a huge step in the right direction, but don’t wait for governments to begin implementing policies. We can start right now in our daily lives. It isn’t hard, it doesn’t take much, and it really does make a difference.
They tell me there’s sun in Hawaii, but we haven’t seen it here (Portland] in weeks. Nothing but rain and more rain, the rivers are flooding. You are right, Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead
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Richard, why aren’t you in Hawaii? Ah yes, thanks for the Mead quote! It is an excellent one!
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We have a city called Chennai…its in South of India and was one of the worst affected regions of Tsunami 2004; for last one month, the city is drowning, literally drowning because of unprecedented and continuous rains. I have some of my family there and they are struggling to find clean water and milk and stay dry. There is also a small temple town in East of India called Puri. Its one of the oldest towns like every other place in this country. However it may not survive another 50 years because of the rising sea level. In a country, where many are vegeterian and cannot even afford cars, you would think emission levels are low! But we are in a race and we need progress, so we keep running. While individually we all have to be far more aware and so more, Nations have to go beyond and stand up for some ethics so that we have a tomorrow.
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cirtnecce, You are very right! India is one of the countries that will be very hard hit, is being hard hit, by climate change. I believe part of the Paris agreement is a fund to help countries like India to deal with climate change and develop using cleaner energy. It will take time and unfortunately, as you are too well aware, there are many people who do not have the time to wait. It is a crime that the world has left such an agreement for so late. If we had begun making changes back in the 70s things would be very different right now. I am very sorry to hear about your family and I hope conditions improve soon!
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Thanks Stefanie…they are managing! I agree that had we started in 1970s we would have been in a much better place; but atleast we started, despite clowns who believe that there is nothing called Climate Change!
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You are right, we might be late, but at least we have started and maybe the very worst can be avoided.
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Thank you for this, Stefanie – it gives me hope. I was a little dispirited about how far from what we need the agreement was, even though as you say it’s a huge step in the right direction. It’s good to remember we’re not entirely powerless, though, and that what we do on our own does matter.
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Ana, you’re welcome! I am often up and down when it comes to climate change and some days it all feels pointless and other days I feel full of hope. But I do think we are not powerless to effect change. I think we need to encourage one another and trust that all of us together can make a difference. Instead of waiting for the government to save us, we have to save each other ourselves.
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Great post Stefanie.
It is pretty clear that Climate Change is the greatest threat that humanity faces. The fact that Ted Cruz and other Republicans are in denial over it is not just troubling but it is terrifying.
The Paris deal is good news. Hopefully the world will continue to take real steps to combat this threat.
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Brian Joseph, thanks! Yes, I agree, it is the greatest threat we face and it is something each one of us has the power to stop. The Republicans terrify me, not that the Democrats are perfect, but at least they usually don’t pretend climate change doesn’t exist. Fingers crossed that the Paris deal is the first big step that will only gain more and more momentum 🙂
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I agree with you completely. One person can make a difference, sometimes all by themselves and sometimes with all the other ‘one persons’ joining together. We have far more power than we want to believe. I think ‘I can’t make a difference’ is an excuse many people use to do nothing. Change the way you live, the way you spend your money, the way you eat, and you will make a difference. ‘One person can’t make a difference’ is a cop out.
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Joan, I do suspect you are right that people sometimes use “I can’t make a difference” as an excuse to do nothing. It’s up to us to convince them otherwise! 🙂
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I try to do so many of those small things, and yet when I see people walking their dogs in shorts and t-shirts in december, I feel rather hopeless. While I am relieved to not be driving on ice and snow right now, the lack of usual freezing weather frightens me- summer heat is becoming unbearable and the balmy winter makes me very very uneasy.
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Jeane, I too am very uneasy about the winter. Yes, there is a big el nino in the Pacific, but this warm weather is more than that. I think 2015 is set to be the hottest year on record globally. Not good. Keep doing the small things and don’t stop trying to add more and most of all, don’t give up!
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There is no sun in the UK either. In fact there has been so much rain here that large areas of the country are under water and thousands of people flooded out of their homes. The weather is so warm that my poppies are still blooming from this summer’s growth while at the same time next year’s daffodils are all through. I just hope it doesn’t suddenly turn cold and snow. I would hate to lose them and have no daffies for the spring.
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Alex, I heard about all the flooding in Cumbria, so terrible! Is it even wider spread than that? If it weren’t for the temperatures sinking to near freezing at night I would really be worried my spring bulbs would start to come up and the trees begin to bud. Your poor plants are so confused! I hope they survive the crazy weather. And I hope everything dried out quickly and people are able to recover.
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Thanks for this, Stefanie. I totally agree – everyone can do something to help the situation. It sure is a better alternative to just throwing up your hands and doing nothing. Also, I think the more politically engaged we are – voting and writing our congresspeople – the better. They need to be reminded that they work for the people and not for the lobbyists.
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Laila, and thank you! I agree, it also helps to be politically engaged in whatever way one can. Our representatives need as much reminding as we can give them!
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So, so agree. I wish people could be convinced to take this more seriously. If we had a better infrastructure for being better for the environment (if it were easier), I think that would help a lot. Meanwhile, I try to do what I can.
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The floods in South India and the ones here mean that is is difficult not to take this more seriously. Even this government is having to change the odds of severe flooding events in planning. Carlisle has had very severe floods, probably once seen as once in 20 years or so events, in the last 10 years!
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Ian, one hopes that such events make everyone take the climate more seriously. Hopefully it doesn’t all get to be so overwhelming that we neglect the bigger picture in trying to cope with the local/regional ones!
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Jenny, you are right, if the infrastructure were better it would be easier. The federal government is forcing cities and states to take the matter into their own hands but they only have limited funds and power. Nonetheless, Minneapolis just started up an organics recycling program where they regularly pick up food waste and other compostables in addition to regular recycling. For people who are in apartments or otherwise don’t do their own composting this is a fantastic service. There’s still lots that needs to be though easy and hard, so we will both keep trying! 🙂
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I often visit this website for great book recommendations and reviews. I seem to be in a minority of one, however, when it comes to comments on “climate change”. I come at this from perhaps a different perspective since I am probably somewhat older than most contributors here. Of course, there is “climate change”. Always has, always will be. But the hysteria surrounding this concept is sad and so misplaced. I remember back in the early 1970’s, Ralph Nader who was the featured speaker at the first Earth Day event, had coeds crying in the audience because he said that by the end of the 20th century, the U.S,. would be almost completely covered in glaciers. I remember being at Yosemite National Park in the late 1079’s, when a park ranger predicted that by the 21st century, Yosemite would be covered in glaciers. This is to illustrate that before there was the hysteria about global warming, there was hysteria about global cooling. More recently, Al Gore and others have made millions predicting global warming. Seven years ago, Al Gore predicted that in five years there would be no ice at the North Pole. Jimmy Carter predicted something similar. Of course, when the scientific evidence did not show global warming, the term “climate change” began to be used. When it doesn’t rain in Southern California–that is climate change. When i rains more than usual someplace else that is climate change. When there are hurricanes, that is climate change. When there are no hurricanes, that is climate change. Of course, there is climate change–but it is measured over 100’s and 1000’s of years. It is extreme hubris to think that humans can study just a few years, and base a whole way of life on evidence that is within the margin of error, if that.
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Hi John,
Since you say you visit for book recommendations, allow me to suggest some reading about climate change that is based on actual scientific evidence:
This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein
Oil and Honey by Bill McKibben
Atmosphere of Hope by Tim Flannery
What we think about when we try not to think about global warming by Per Espen Stoknes
Don’t Even think about it by George Marshall
Climate Change and the media by Tammy Boyce and Justin Lewis
Climate crisis: an introductory guide to climate change by David Archer and Stefan Rahmstorf
Storms of my grandchildren by James Hansen
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We’ve had rain in Scotland for weeks now and it’s still very mild. Daffodils are flowering in the south, and people in the north of England and parts of Scotland are flooded out because of record rainfall – again. These ‘once in a lifetime events’ are visiting the same people four times inside ten years. I think those people believe in global warming. Sadly the Paris climate agrrement is unlikely to have any effect as they will all just ignore what they signed up to – as usual.
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piningforthewest, I have heard about all the flooding there it is really terrible and I hope you dry out soon. I agree these 100 events happen every few years now and it is only going to get worse unfortunately. I am not counting on the governments to do half of what they promised in Paris which, after reviewing the agreement turns out to not be much at all. That makes it all the more important for us as individuals to do what we can together. It won’t be easy but I don’t think it is impossible.
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I’m sad that the governments weren’t able to decide more coercive actions during the Paris meetings. It was to be expected but still I wish that we could do more than our tiny individual steps. Our kids will have the consequences of it soon enough.
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smithereens, yes, after I posted this I read more about what is actually in the agreement and it is very disappointing. There is no accountability or requirements of any kind and I fear that it just means nobody will actually do anything. I really hope to be wrong about that. We as individuals have to keep at it and turn up the pressure on our respective governments. Don’t give up!
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Without wanting to get into the fray about “whether or not”, (since I’m not a scientist and haven’t a clue)…There are many many scientists out there who do not agree with the the predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or who believe that any changes that can be predicted are the result of natural causes. (one of them is a good friend at the University of Georgia). So, I can understand John’s point. Not all scientists agree on the science, or what it means. If they don’t agree, it’s tough for a non-scientist – which is why I seldom chime in when folks are debating it. Having said that, I try to live my life in a way that is most gentle on Mother Earth and I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing us all take better care of our environment. That just makes good sense.
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Grad, actually, 99% of all climate scientists agree that climate change is happening, that it is a threat, and that it is caused by humans. Of the 1% that do not agree, Greenpeace just conducted a kind of “sting” operation and discovered that for a tidy fee, a number of the top deniers will write “scientific” reports saying climate change is good or is a natural phenomenon, etc. So really, there is no doubt among scientists about the issue, it is real, caused by humans and happening now and we can do something about it: stop burning fossil fuels. Thanks for being gentle to the earth, keep it up and keep looking for other things you can do 🙂
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Our weather in South Carolina has been weird too. On Christmas Day it was 78 degrees outside. It should not be that warm outside during the winter. We have had a lot of rain as well. In November Charleston was flooded. Hope you get some snow this year and soon lol
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Lovely post. (BTW, we had the warmest October on record and, right now, I can’t quite work out what our Manchurian Pears think they are doing …)
I can’t help but comment on your description of Cruz’s argument that climate change proponents are in it “to increase the size of government, increase taxes and create laws that control how we live our lives” I was listening to a discussion on the gun control issue to other day, and an American commentator – sorry, can’t recollect who – argued that one of the reasons Americans are so pro-guns is a paranoid fear of government. Now I knew that, generally speaking, Americans are known to be anti-big government, anti-taxes, but I hadn’t heard it put so baldly before. It helped me understand on an historico-philosophical level what I’d been struggling to understand before. Your Cruz description just adds to that …
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Thanks! Paranoid fear of the government? Anti-tax? Can we blame the British back in the colonial days for that I wonder? I think there definitely tends to be a political divide on both of the those issues and the further you move to the right on the political spectrum, the greater the paranoia. Not to say liberal are immune, but it tends to be a conservative thing. Oddly enough, however, those same conservatives are the ones who vote consistently for increasing government surveillance!
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Who said voters had to be logical or consistent 🙂
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