We are moving into uncharted territory with frightening speed – Michel Jarraud, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization.
Weather is the No. 1 topic here these days. Spring is about a month ahead of itself. Is this warm weather an aberration or a wake-up call?
According to reports, the world’s climate scientists can’t answer that. The average global temperature normally changes only a few hundredths of a degree from year to year, but temperatures have taken an unexpected and alarming leap in the last few years. The record- breaking heat of 2014 and 2015 is being outdone in 2016 (1.48C in its first three months.)
World leaders signed the Paris Agreement on climate change in New York last week. This treaty calls for “reducing emissions sufficiently to avoid global average temperatures ever exceeding 2 degrees C above what it was before the Industrial Revolution” while striving to hold the global average temperature to no more than a 1.5 degree rise (Elizabeth May). That calls for dramatic reductions in GHG emissions. Based on the history, the leaders expected to have about 25 years to get emissions under control before reaching that 1.5C warming threshold. If the current surge continues, we could get there much sooner.
Cariboo oldtimers believe we’ll have a cool, wet summer to even things out. I hope they’re right, but Mother Nature bats last. At the moment she has some of the world’s leading scientists flummoxed. So what will the governments do? Take drastic action or lollygag around hoping for the best?
The mainstream media has been silent on this issue. Senator Mike Duffy’s acquittal on 31 charges of assorted wrongdoings, the death of musician Prince and Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday took the news. Duffy’s acquittal was a stunner, but these days politicians and people in authority can do as they please as long as it’s not proven illegal. Unethical doesn’t count, and you can’t break rules if there aren’t any.
But, when the sun is shining, all’s right with the world, and it’s hard to get excited about stuff like climate change, or “do-it- my-way” governments.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian, and book author.
