Copies of my 2019 essay collection, Twilight Time: Aging in Amazement, are available directly from me (signed) or from Amazon or your local bookseller.
The failure of COP26 indicates that the world governments will not take the necessary steps to slow down climate chaos. I assume survival will ultimately fall on individual communities and regions. We’ll see….
We’re on cross country trip now. Crossing into Canada tomorrow. Our daughter’s going to have a baby in a couple weeks. Where we live in Oswego, people don’t seem worried about climate—ours is improving. The college students say they are, but worry doesn’t seem to affect the personal behavior of most. It seems we all continue to kick hr can down the road. I’m trying to practice “we’ll see…” and love the people around me.
Congratulations on the coming new birth. Safe travels. By "ours is improving" do you mean winters aren't as harsh? That's true in the Berkshires as well, but it's a little spooky.
It is spooky. But when people see climate change as an improvement to their regional weather, they are less likely to make sacrifices and feel urgency.
Shorter winters. Less snow. Less rain. Dying trees in California is a pandemic of is own. Dry grass/lands. Fires continuing to devastate whole communities. Taking lives, both human and other creatures, in masses. It is incredibly sad. I sit and contemplate how to do anything other than try to make my children aware of what they are in for if we don't all do something to love our planet and treat her with kindness. ( I also compost, recycle and am looking into low to no emissions cars as next vehicle) I pray. I wish I could do more!
I don't really know about the dying trees. Is it all trees or certain kinds? I can only imagine what it's like to have to pass this along to your boys. Love what you wrote about treating our planet with kindness.
Looks like I'm your first reply on this one - and it is happening hard here in my province of BC, as we respond to the aftermath of extensive flooding that washed out highways and rail transport. In the past 5 or 6 months we have endured drought conditions, forest fires, a deadly heat dome, and now intense rainfall causing mudslides and flooding. It is heartbreaking. And paradoxically I look outside at the beautiful bright sunshine, a new day begins. Your question this morning was spot on for me as I'm just sitting down to write a newsletter post about this.
You've been very much in my mind since I heard the news yesterday. I'm planning on writing a Substack piece for next week about this moment, too. Looking forward to seeing how you express what you're experiencing.
The failure of COP26 indicates that the world governments will not take the necessary steps to slow down climate chaos. I assume survival will ultimately fall on individual communities and regions. We’ll see….
What's the sense of commitment where you are in New York State?
We’re on cross country trip now. Crossing into Canada tomorrow. Our daughter’s going to have a baby in a couple weeks. Where we live in Oswego, people don’t seem worried about climate—ours is improving. The college students say they are, but worry doesn’t seem to affect the personal behavior of most. It seems we all continue to kick hr can down the road. I’m trying to practice “we’ll see…” and love the people around me.
Congratulations on the coming new birth. Safe travels. By "ours is improving" do you mean winters aren't as harsh? That's true in the Berkshires as well, but it's a little spooky.
It is spooky. But when people see climate change as an improvement to their regional weather, they are less likely to make sacrifices and feel urgency.
Shorter winters. Less snow. Less rain. Dying trees in California is a pandemic of is own. Dry grass/lands. Fires continuing to devastate whole communities. Taking lives, both human and other creatures, in masses. It is incredibly sad. I sit and contemplate how to do anything other than try to make my children aware of what they are in for if we don't all do something to love our planet and treat her with kindness. ( I also compost, recycle and am looking into low to no emissions cars as next vehicle) I pray. I wish I could do more!
I don't really know about the dying trees. Is it all trees or certain kinds? I can only imagine what it's like to have to pass this along to your boys. Love what you wrote about treating our planet with kindness.
129million trees in the national forests ( in California ) have died since 2010, due to
serious on going drought, bark beetle infestation ( largely due to milder winters ) and other climate change issues....information shared from Ben!
Looks like I'm your first reply on this one - and it is happening hard here in my province of BC, as we respond to the aftermath of extensive flooding that washed out highways and rail transport. In the past 5 or 6 months we have endured drought conditions, forest fires, a deadly heat dome, and now intense rainfall causing mudslides and flooding. It is heartbreaking. And paradoxically I look outside at the beautiful bright sunshine, a new day begins. Your question this morning was spot on for me as I'm just sitting down to write a newsletter post about this.
You've been very much in my mind since I heard the news yesterday. I'm planning on writing a Substack piece for next week about this moment, too. Looking forward to seeing how you express what you're experiencing.
thanks! Here it is: https://carol.substack.com/p/atmospheric-river