Q: My husband and I walk every morning, usually before breakfast. It is a spectacular time of the day for a walk, especially during months. What with so much early morning fog this year settling into sparkles of frost on just about everything, trees, abandoned fence posts, even the hills in the distance, this year has been more beautiful than ever.
We are led to believe that perhaps climate change is not all bad. It has otherwise been labelled as the bad guy. We think that we have found some goodness.
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My husband and I are aware of the tragedies built into climate change but we just think that we should appreciate whatever reprieves we can get from climate change, that we might bow in sanctity to the beauty of our morning walks, and that we would like to share those moments with your readers. Thank you.
A: It is remarkable, isn’t it? I never know whether climate change is all good or mostly bad but I am certain that it is irreversible. It is here to stay, for both the good, the bad and the ugly.
I am glad that you have been able to see the beauty of those early morning walks and find in the changing world something to excite you. Who knows where all of this is going to end. Will we at some point be enjoying the rich fauna that nurtured the dinosaurs away back then? Are our offspring going to be harvesting a different crop yield than that which we nourish today? What kinds of foods are we going to be eating? What vehicles will we drive? What clothes will we wear?
Academically, it is interesting and I am sure that as you enjoy the frost on the trees you must also be sharing a lot of fascinating conversations with each other.
Having said that, we cannot ignore the damages thus far resulting from climate change. Neither can we pretend that massive events are not to continue.
The risk values in climate change are in floods, droughts, heat waves, overwhelming winds and severe snowfalls. They are likely to continue for some time.
We can initiate social and cultural changes to limit our use of fossil fuels, make better use of our natural water supplies and limit atmospheric damages, but there is not much that we as individuals can do in the broad spectrum. We can however try to protect our homes and families. Let’s look at that a bit.
Regardless of the natural disaster, a common concern is always with the food supply. We need only look at the shelves in our grocery stores to understand that having a couple of extra cans of chicken noodle soup among other things stored in our food pantries is reasonable.
Floods appear to be a problem, especially in areas not known for high humidity. Many unsuspecting peoples applying for assistance from their home insurance after they have been flooded are finding they are not protected. The insurance companies do not necessarily cover the costs for natural disasters. But some do and it is important that people ensure that their insurance insures.
Our medicine cabinets need protective salves for sunburns and soothing ointments for frostbite.
We need to make sure our vehicles can handle winter snow and ice and we need to make sure that we are able to get around when the grounds are covered with slippery patches of ice. Everyone needs shoes with proper traction.
Obviously, much more than this can be done in the face of climate change. However, we must anticipate its effects, such as the letter writers have done, so we can appreciate the sideline beauties of the inevitable changes we are encountering.
Jacklin Andrews is a family counsellor from Saskatchewan. Contact: jandrews@producer.com.
