Climate Lynx

  I am a “Gray Green”. Or more accurately, I might refer to myself as a “Bald Green”. There is a growing movement among us “oldsters” to amp up our game in the fight to save the planet. It has started in earnest in London as the Grays, as they refer to themselves, are organizing and marching. Some have even been arrested in non-violent protests. Their goal is to bring attention to the climate crisis and the lack of action by the British Government. It is encouraging to see the grays still have some teeth. Or, at least, menacing dentures. The struggle to save the climate has been lead, in large part, by the young such as Greta Thunberg. Now, older concerned citizens are stepping up. At a London Climate Rally organized by the Extinction Rebellion, Arnold Pease, a retired schoolteacher now 93 years old, joined the march occasionally taking a minute to rest on a folding chair carried by a fellow supporter. The sign worn around the neck of another gray-haired man    sa...

  Do we want to be prepared for the next round of extreme weather? The storm clouds are not on the horizon. They are here. Extreme weather is guaranteed for at least the next thirty years. Temperatures will rise and with this rise the potential for extreme temperature events skyrocket. Because warmer air holds more water storm clouds carrying “rain bombs” will pummel us. One study published by the American Geophysical Union informs us the eastern half of the USA is already experiencing twice as many mega-rain events now versus before 1950. They warn us worse storms will come. Cities are more vulnerable to both heat extremes and mega-rains, so Michiganders in Detroit are already having to deal with too much heat and too much rain.   We will too. We are not immune even though we have cooling forests and a massive cold lake.   Collectively our small communities, and we as individuals, need to implement adaptation measures. The industrial, governmental, and residential bu...

  One of my favorite quotes is by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” Climate change is an anxiety creating problem. There are many ways to deal with it. Here are three. The first is outright denial. If a person denies it is happening there is no challenge, no anxiety. This is a popular mode of coping which only requires one to disregard reality. The downside of this is reality always wins. The second is another form of denial which goes like this. “Yes, I know climate change is real but there is nothing I can do.” Many people fall into this category. For me, this would be a special kind of hell. Death is the only reality I must submit to, so I reject this option. The third option is to accept the fact climate change is happening and, while we will not live long enough to see it tamed, we can make a difference for the next generation right...