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Sunday, April 04, 2010

A Global Warming Perspective for Today

Ga Oak at Sunset copyright 2006 Sue Lannen and Valerie Coskrey

I am watching the Documentary Channel (DOC) series Global Warming Solutions broadcast 4/4/10. I just had to stop and make these comments about the show.
  • It is an excellent show.
  • It presents great ideas.
  • It talks about prevention and fixing climate change.
  • It talks about green products.
  • It was first aired years ago.
Today I have a major shift in thinking. These are the points of the new outlook or paradigm.
  • Global Warming or Climate Change is here; it is too late to talk about prevention.
  • Solving the problems of Climate Change is now a matter of limiting the damage and attempting to reverse some of the effects.
  • We must now live with the new climate conditions.
  • We must anticipate the short-term effects of the damaged climate and develop responses to acute problems.
  • We must adjust our economies to the new realities.
  • We must anticipate the changes to ecosystems so new agricultural economies can be planned and implemented.
  • We must anticipate the stresses on societies worldwide and plan effective interventions to prevent famine and societal meltdowns.
Today we must learn to live with an array of different economic and social conditions.
  • New agricultural regions since the climate has shifted the boundaries of ecosystems and habitats.
  • New resource shortages as economies adjust to changes in agricultural regions and water sources.
  • New levels of class memberships: Increased poverty, struggling middle class, huge gaps between the wealthy and the middle class.
  • New industries and products that will change the traditional uses of energy and resources.
  • New politics that are pushed by multinational corporate interests in conflict with civil liberties and in competition to various problematic forms of government.
Tomorrow will be challenging, interesting, and surprising. I must trust that we in the USA will learn to cope and will make good decisions.

Whatever the politicians and deniers say, Climate Change is here and is already resculpting the biosphere's habitats, ecosystems and local climatic regions.