The weather has been unseasonably warm this December. Today, two days after Christmas, the temperature topped out at 53 degrees. I observed, today, a man loading his golf clubs onto a cart. I thought that, if the trend continues, we’ll have only three cold months this year. Further, one would speculate that those may be warmer than we imagined.
I don’t know quite how to take this. It’s strange to walk around in late December without a coat on. In my lifetime, magazines have been sold declaring that an “ice age” was on the way. It was 1975. It seems clear, though to this point at least, that those advocating a warm up have carried the day.
We Americans are surely the most to blame by our leadership in the age of consumption. But the rest of the world has been growing as well and growing faster. A super-heated planet will not be the fault of the USA.
Mostly I am sad about the planet growing warmer. I’m sad that it seems to never snow anymore. I’m sad about the process spinning out of control. I’m sad about the challenge of internalizing the cost of carbon emissions. I’m sad that there are economies around the world who justifiably want a share of growth.
But what I’m really saddest about is how the Christmas lights look adorning the branches of homes and trees around this neighborhood. Something less than as promised. It’s really not right. Not right at all.
SSW
Steven S. Wallace 