So recently, one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded hit the coast of Mexico.
I saw its image from the space station. It looks like a scene in a disaster movie.
Hurricane #Patricia approaches #Mexico. It's massive. Be careful! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/F5LgnjOjey
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 23, 2015
So real life is looking like CGI from a doomsday flick.
And astronauts are peering out the window at the earth and seeing things that make them think 'holy crap, that's not good'.
Doesn't it make you wonder: when is enough ENOUGH?
Are we just supposed to accept this as a 'new normal'?
If you've been paying attention, record breaking extreme weather events have been happening all over the $%#^-ing place.
Crazy 'historic' rainfall in the Carolinas!
'Record breaking', rampaging fires in Washington State!
'Mind boggling' heat waves in the Middle East!
I went to the Climate Reality Leadership conference in July and only a few months later, I've a ton of NEW extreme weather examples to put into the slide show.
This should be worrying people.
It worries the heck out of me.
I don't know why each time I hear of a new extreme weather event, I'm surprised.
Knowing the science of climate change as I do, I should know better.
Of course there are going to be massive super storms, heat waves, forest fires... along with a whole score of other 'symptoms' of an over-warmed planet.
Well, duh! That's the way it works, dummy!
Every incident is at once an impetus to act and a moment of mourning.
Here's a typical inner conversation:
- What?! Another extreme weather event?
- That's horrible!
- Think of all the living creatures affected!
- How could we let it get this far?
- Why do we do this to ourselves?
- When will we get our act together?
- We must take action!
- Switch to renewables!
- End the burning of fossil fuels!
- Yay! Lots of people are taking action!
- What?! Another extreme weather event?
And so on...
It can be a challenge to keep a steady emotional course.
It can be a challenge emotionally to stay attuned to what is going on, to bear witness, to give voice...and for those who are directly impacted, to endure.
One almost needs a warrior spirit to keep hope when faced with the constant evidence of our mis-direction, our mis-use, our environmental abuse which we are all complicit in.
Bad news: we created this mess.
Good news: we can fix it.
Granted, it might take considerable collective effort to fix it.
But that doesn't mean it can't be fixed.
I guess as long as we keep aligning with #climatehope, all is not lost.
Fellow humans, join me in maintaining your #climatehope!
Because, what's the alternative, really?
I really do not want to see the hashtag #climatedespair trending any time soon.
Let's. Just. Not. Go. There. Please.
