When I was in Wyoming for my continuing education the talk everywhere was about the hot, dry summer. It rained heavily on two days, for which locals were grateful, but by the next morning the ground was dry as dust. When I left for home my flight from Denver to Toronto was delayed by a couple of hours. Why? The temperature was up over 100F so the combination of heat and altitude (the Mile High city) meant that the plane couldn't take off with a full load. In the end they had to tell a number of passengers that they would have to wait for a later flight to get the weight down. They were not amused.
Not only have there been wildfires across the American west, over 60% of the country is in drought. We are now told that the effects on crops will mean higher food prices for Canadians who depend on produce from our neighbours. The high temperatures have affected farmers here as well. Friends north of Kingston have been selling off cattle because the hay crop withered in the heat and a $30 round bale is now going for $80. It just isn't worth continuing.
Not only have there been wildfires across the American west, over 60% of the country is in drought. We are now told that the effects on crops will mean higher food prices for Canadians who depend on produce from our neighbours. The high temperatures have affected farmers here as well. Friends north of Kingston have been selling off cattle because the hay crop withered in the heat and a $30 round bale is now going for $80. It just isn't worth continuing.
Are we humans doing this? One of the leading climate change naysayers has done completed turnaround. After years of being the champion of the cause Prof. Richard Muller now says that climate change is real and that the "smoking gun" is in the collective hand of humankind. Of course those who used to cite his work now dismiss him.
Cold comfort or perhaps hot comfort to say "I told you so." All this reminds us of the important role faith communities including Christian churches have in working toward solutions. Our Canadian government needs to hear our voices more now than ever.
What are your thoughts in this sweltering summer?
1 comment:
Climate change naysayers are infuriating. In the face of a burden of proof that's literally crushing in its comprehensiveness, they continue to fold their arms across their collective chests and rail against the leftie conspiracy theorists who've dreamt the thing up.
My personal favourite was one local idiot who, a couple of years ago, wrote in to our local paper to say that climate change couldn't possibly be happening, because he and his wife had to bring a blanket to their young daughter's soccer game on an unseasonably cool July night.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Then again, it's unsurprising. While watching CNN the other night, my jaw dropped as a add for "clean coal" from a well-heeled lobby group flew across the screen. It's message? It's time to stop all of this Democratic "social engineering" and get honest people honest work in our energy sector that's worked for the last 200 years!
Omigawd.
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