Fear and Climate Change

I've read a lot about climate change, most of it years ago.

But back then, everything was predicting that by 2010 at the earliest and 2020 at the latest, we would have to act or be screwed. By everything, I mean everyone -- like a huge and overwhelming consensus of climate scientists. So just stop with the denial.

Thing is, I think we are seeing the effects everyday now. Crazy blizzards, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes. Record high years every year. Dying species, especially bees (that's really scary). Rising food prices. Droughts. Weather records everywhere we turn. Massive specie extinction. Ice caps melting dramatically year in and year out.

It may be too late to act, and even if it's not, there is no sign of the kind of concerted effort it would take to change the circumstances. Most climate scientists say that above 350 ppm, the earth may no longer be habitable. We are now at 388 and rising. It's the highest ever on the planet.

So, here we sit, like the proverbial frog in the water, heating, nearly boiling, and time is really short at best. Problem is, the effects of warming can always be blamed on something else. Food shortage is because of big corporations or greedy Chinese. Bad economy is because of Obama or the GOP (take your pick). Floods are because of the Corps of Engineers. Dead Birds in droves are because of fireworks. Dead bees because of cell phones or fungi.

The cumulative effect seems undeniable, but we are not good as a people at looking cumulatively, looking long-term. We are short-term. On-demand. Instant satisfaction.

We have created an amazingly powerful and advanced economy where EVERYONE IS DEPENDENT ON EVERYONE ELSE. Yet, in the meantime, we have potentially undermined the very foundation of that system (our planet).

And, meanwhile because of this great interdependence, we can blame each other for the failure while missing the forest for the trees.

I'm scared, really scared, and you should be too.