On climate change. |
She’s trying to tell us, Mother Earth is, that climate change is something to take seriously, that it is more than a mere inconvenience, and is, indeed, a survival threat. I mean, she allows a clear view of sister Venus (visible in morning or evening), and knew, I’m sure, that we would one day accede to curiosity by exploring space, the planets extant, and learn of Venus’ awful fate; to wit, a hellish world with temps so high that lead would melt, and pressures such that the first Soviet unmanned craft to land there were crushed like old tin cans. It took a while, I’m sure, for Venus to become so inclement, with an atmosphere so thick and full of carbon dioxide that the infrared radiation could not escape—it is, indeed, a runaway greenhouse effect. Shall we suffer such a fate? Pollution from factories, from cars and trucks—these are greenhouse gases, which trap heat. Seems natural to think our big, blue planet can forever adjust. Yet if we deny this disquieting truth, and act as if tomorrow never comes, then maybe our only home will become like Venus. This notice eyes us forthright, the print legible, the message clear, just as space is clear, full of stars and galaxies— that cosmic view attained when viewed from high above our protective atmosphere. So courteous, she, Mother Earth, to provide this notice with weather changes abrupt, the meandering of jet streams unprecedented, polar vortexes in furious anger, receding Arctic ice and glaciers diminishing all too quick. She warns, all right, yet still spins on her axis (a modest tilt), allowing for seasons, providing us a place to live. Mother Earth is kind, and she is patient… to a point. Our stewardship demands we heed her notice. 40 Lines Writer’s Cramp 7-24-16 |