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Today’s post is my little contribution to this years Blog Action Day. The idea behind Blog Action Day is to get as many people talking about a big global issue by having blog writers post on a particular topic, and this year that topic is Climate Change.
Previously on this site I’ve written about the hole in the ozone layer, which is probably one of the first things people think about when they hear the words climate change – that and the fact that the polar regions (both north and south) seem to be melting away at a rather alarming rate. Now, I have no evidence to corroborate any of this, but I am convinced that something is going on with the UK weather systems, and I’ll now explain why!
Firstly, this week is the week of my home towns annual fun fair. I used to love attending the fair, going on the rides and relishing my only chance other than during the summer holidays to play on the arcade games. When I think of these memories I also remember just how cold and wet it used to be when the fair came to town.
My parents would make my sister and I wrap up warm, with wooly hat, scarf, mittens or gloves (on elastic of course) and my fur lined hooded jacket. We also had to put on two pairs of socks and our wellington boots, simply because it usually rained around then and turned the field on which the fun fair was sited to turn into a muddy quagmire in places. Even with all this, the wind still rattled through you and chilled you to the bone.
Fast forward 25 years or so to today and the fair still comes to town at the same time of year, but now it’s quite possible to walk around it in the evening with normal shoes, one pair of socks, a lightweight jacket and no hat, scarf or gloves at all. Could it be that now I’m older I don’t feel the cold so much? Possibly, but I don’t think so, given that my nephews can go to the fair and not have to wrap up as if it’s arctic conditions out there. I can only surmise then that the UK weather in October has got milder.
For further evidence I also point to the near lack of snow we now get in the South of England, or at least in the area I live. When I was little I remember having snow in the back garden that came well over my knees, and my Dad always used to tell stories of even deeper snow when he was little. These days we’re lucky to get a few inches, which is enough to throw a few snowballs and perhaps make a small, pathetic looking snowman.
Is this evidence of climate change? I don’t know. It certainly can’t be classed as scientific proof, but it does seem to back up the argument that the climates in different parts of the world are altering.
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I remember the summers of my childhood were glorious and golden and lasted forever without nary a rainy day.
Is that evidence of global cooling when compared with this year? Probably not.
As the offspring of two meteorologists the subject of weather and climate and measuring trends was a regular source of confusion until I started to understand better.
One thing we should always remember is that change is a constant. This is particularly true of what goes on in the environment around us, so the concept of ‘fighting climate change’ is simply perverse.
Change is good – it is what creates the conditions for life. Our climate has always fluctuated according to cyclical trends – be it on daily, seasonally or on hyper-long epochal timescales.
The current worry is not that change is occurring, but that the natural cycles have been disrupted by our own unhealthy behaviour.
It is because we have the power to control our behaviour that we should be more self-aware and responsive. So we must either work with the climate to mitigate any drastic changes or make contingency plans for the unpredictable and potentially hugely damaging consequences.
It seems the politicised language used to describe our situation has not advanced anywhere nearer to describing reality in the past 20-30 years!
That was a very detailed and well argued response Oranjepan. Thank you.
I was of course being a little tongue in cheek with this post, but I certainly agree with you that those changes which are destructive and are being caused by humans should be addressed. The Earth and Mother Nature are generally pretty good at bouncing back, but a little help from us certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Thanks. You should’ve seen the first draft of my rant…
I got that impression, yeah, but nothing will ever stop me from saying everything is the fault of politicians – it is their job to be blamed, after all!
Give me any excuse and I’m there.
BTW did you know that cultural anthropologists have dated the start of the blame culture to the exact moment the first pick-axe hit the Berlin Wall in 1989 – coincidence, or what?
Regarding politicians, fair enough I’d say. They all seem as bad as each other, don’t they?