[greenyes] Climate Disruption at Home - Life Boats Instead of Barnraising

["Peter Anderson" <anderson@no.address>]

    Above the Arctic Circle, the polar ice cap is receding; in Antarctica, 
whole ice shelf's are calving; across the mountains of the world, glaciers 
are disappearing; but here at home is what I notice most.

    When I first moved to Madison 35 years ago, and for at least 10-15 years 
after that, the leaves here in the northern latitudes would be all gone by 
yesterday or today, depending upon when that final rain clipped the last 
stems.  Today, however, the leaves on our native trees are just beginning to 
turn, and probably won't be gone for another week or perhaps more. 
Concomitantly, in the spring, the time when the trees are leafed out has 
moved one week earlier in April. Together the time when our trees are green 
in Wisconsin has stretched out by nearly 3 weeks.

    Of course, warmer climes in general does not bode good news, because the 
localized effects will create many tragic losers, along with possibly a few 
winners, with the resulting tragedies lapping at everyone's shores, leaving 
no safe harbors.

    And therein lies the rub.

    America is built on screwing the other guy. Behind our gated 
communities, we focus on life boats, rather than barn raising.

    To confront the challenges global warming is bringing, on other hand, to 
make due with less -- which ought to be so simple in that we have so much 
more than we need -- will vitally depend upon reigniting a profound sense of 
comity among all of us, because, otherwise, each will demand to be kept held 
harmless, when that is no longer possible. In the race to be the first to 
bolt to the door, so many more will be stampeded underfoot.

    I try to explain to my 8 year old son what is happening to us, and most 
of all to his emerging generation now playing with their game boys, because 
ours failed him, though he doesn't understand, yet.

    But for our willingness to accept as leaders those who are morally 
bankrupt, enthralled with payoffs from the ethically least amongst us, we 
are where we now in the pickle we find ourselves.

    Yet, outrage can, at times, be a salutary influence, and never more than 
today.

    Change is possible if we confront what is happening.  The leaves still 
on Madison's trees here in October tell me that it is no longer a problem 
that can be put off until tomorrow.

                                                                             
            Peter



_________________________
Peter Anderson, President
RECYCLEWORLDS CONSULTING
4513 Vernon Blvd. Suite 15
Madison, WI 53705-4964
Ph: (608) 231-1100
Fax: (608) 233-0011
Cell: (608) 698-1314
eMail: anderson@no.address
web: www.recycleworlds.net

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