Finally the fall leaves I was looking for back in...the fall. News reports have been full of the reports that 2012 was the hottest year yet recorded in the contiguous U.S. It certainly stayed warm through to November. Now a drive through the countryside reveals the late fallen leaves.
The world is heating up. The acceleration began in the late 80's and into the 90's. I'm going to ask that you think about something else here. Just like the effects of sun damage on skin takes years after exposure to develop, our current rapidly accelerating global warming is not happening because of the damage we inflicted on our Earth last summer (and we continue to inflict plenty). The resulting effects of our current contribution will not be felt for about fifty years. When I heard this I had to reflect on "what was going on 50 years prior to the onset of that sudden, and continuing, acceleration of climate change back in the late 80's to the 90's"? World War II and the atomic bombs, and all of the other catastrophic bombing that occurred in that and subsequent wars. Also, bombs aren't dropped just in combat, they must be developed and tested.
I am concerned about all the attention, albeit important, put on "how do we stop global warming?", instead of serious discussion of just plain "how do we adapt?" Because adapt is what we have to do. If we stopped all activity that causes accelerated global warming tomorrow we are still facing steadily rising temperatures for the next 50 years. Is anyone really willing to do what needs to be done? We can't even agree on the causes anyway. Bombs aren't going away, planes aren't going away and cars aren't going away. The world as we know it is going away. In the mean time the east coast of the United States is facing seriously rising oceans and yet after the devastation of the storm Sandy people who can afford it are rebuilding right on the coast; homes and businesses. It seems always to be someone else's problem.
In bocca al lupo. m & v
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