Climate Change Has Come Home to Roost This Fall
We Cannot Say “Not in My Backward” About Climate Change,
It’s Already Here
>>> From the Editorial of the Morgantown Dominion
Post, October 6, 2019 <<<
Perpetual heat
waves and severe drought are a big issue. Unlike some issues, fear of climate
change is as real as the threat it poses.
The
enormity of climate change demands a sense of urgency to address but is yet
difficult to comprehend and respond to effectively. For many in north-central
West Virginia it’s obvious our climate is increasingly hotter and drier.
September
was one of the warmest and driest on record. Less than an inch of rain was
recorded in the month.
Though
heat waves were never uncommon in West Virginia, in recent years episodes of
such intense hot spells are almost the new norm. Despite our current respite
from the heat, drought conditions are worsening statewide that make the loss of
crops and water shortages likely.
The U.S.
Drought Monitor map classified large parts of southern West Virginia in a
severe drought while the entire northern swath of the state was labeled
abnormally dry. Recent unusual mild winters with little snowfall and average
temperatures far above average, though welcomed by many, have left that season
out of balance, too.
We have
yet to see 90 degree days in January, but it’s increasingly possible as our
state’s climate no longer aligns with any calendar or past weather trends.
Other signs of climate change that some of us have observed for several years
are also making headlines now.
According
to one major study, the total bird population in the United States and Canada
has declined by 29% since 1970 — t h at ’s 3 billion birds. That loss is not
limited to several threatened species, either. Indeed, it is spread across a
wide array of birds, from migratory to backyard.
The study
was primarily a census and did not attempt to determine the causes of these
declines. Some are obvious, such as buildings and wind turbine collisions and
disease outbreaks. But since bird population health truly is the canary in the
coal mine regarding environmental health, this fact alone is reason for grave
concern.
We may be
wasting our breath asking state and federal governments to commission further
detailed studies to more aptly address the issues this decline of birds
portends.
But in the spirit of the
September 20th Global Climate Strike, we demand our
leaders do more to combat these changes that are no longer just in the public’s
consciousness, but are in its backyard.
Talk of the planet’s warming
often causes many to freeze up. What can one person do to stop something that
affects us on a global scale. Consequently, this issue must be elevated to a
top priority much like our national security and public safety.
Defense of our planet is just as
important as defense of our country or our home. As some have said, otherwise,
what is there to defend?
It’s not
unusual when forecasts turn out to be wrong. But there’s something wrong with
the weather and the birds. Something that should be a major concern beyond just
the Weather Channel and the Audubon Society.
#########################
Submitted to the Monongalia
County Commission by Duane Nichols, Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition, 330 Dream
Catcher Circle, Morgantown, WV 26508 on October 16, 2019.