By Ann Barlow, GreenPepper
It’s been interesting to see the arguments that have flared up over the past few weeks as the U.S. has been pounded by one storm after another. I heard that as of last weekend, 49 of 50 states had snow (Hawaii had apparently managed to avoid the white stuff even at its highest elevations). Given this, it’s not completely surprising that some people think we couldn’t really be experiencing global warming. If
snow is falling as far south as Florida, the thinking goes, how could that equate to the planet heating up an alarming rates?
But scientists and others a lot more knowledgeable than I have said not to take comfort from this notion. The fact is, as the planet warms up, ocean currents can change dramatically, causing an accompanying shift in weather patterns. At the same time, waters that have been warmed by the earth’s atmosphere evaporate more quickly, producing more frequent and heavier precipitation. Climatologists say that such patterns are likely to continue, so that we can look forward to more extreme weather conditions – from blizzards to droughts.
We have so much to think about in the here and now – jobs, housing, healthcare, wars – that it would be nice to think that perhaps this problem isn’t as bad as it has seemed. But that would be the equivalent of fixing the windows and the roof while the foundation is cracking.
I hope my friends, family and colleagues who are going through such a tough winter can look forward to a nice, temperate spring. But don’t count on it… And all of us need to maintain the political will to make changes now. Otherwise, we’re going to need a few more snow plows, umbrellas, sand bags and irrigation systems.
