Climate Change

There seems to be more and more evidence of the dynamic effect on our lives and economy from climate change. This month we read and see evidence of flooding all over the world. Closer to home we have severe flooding in Manitoba and New Brunswick as well as a host of other places where the degree and severity do not warrant national news coverage.

The potential for economic ruin in the flooded areas is real and if the act of nature were to occur several years in a row we could be in real trouble. In South East Asia this year up to 40% of the farmland was flooded and there will be no or lesser crop yields of rice in this rice economy.Already there are forecasts of world level difficulties of providing food for millions of people. Europe and its bread basket were hit with similar problems where crops were supposed to be less than half in many areas.

Without belabouring the point we should be doing immediately what we should have been told to do years ago and prepare for the changing climate challenge. With world concerns turned into world action plans we have the resources to cope with the situation. Resources now used to build and buy guns can be used to make butter. I read a book years ago and it talked about the choice of guns or butter and it describes the situation we find ourselves at this time.

I wish to think that our world and national leaders could work together and solve the challenges we have before us.It is a sad commentary on our civilization when leaders waste fortunes on guns and their countrymen are starving. Case in point is North Korea where one of the largest armed forces on the planet exists and thousands are in danger of starvation. All over Africa the same condition exists.

Mother Nature holds the upper hand in this theatre and we must work with her to co-exist on this planet earth.

Climate Change

Much has been written and talked about the effects on our life from climate change.While I was reading the morning paper and half listening to the news on TV I was amazed how the weather was the big news. Every continent was mentioned. The big freeze in the north east USA, the tragic floods in Brazil and Australia, the freeze up in much of China and of course the horrific weather in Europe. We have to be aware of the climate changes over the past few years but particularly this year.

A smaller story about horoscopes showed or reported that the gravitation of the moon changed the alignment of the stars so there will be  changes in your sign. I will no longer be a Capricorn and so on. Although these events probably are unrelated you only have to use your imagination to see startling ramifications if ever there were changes to the solar system and who is to say it could not occur. Science can only observe, report and try to predict the important changes that might come about as a result of events in space.

Sun spots were observed years ago before our communication systems were in place but look at their effect when they are acting up. Everyone talks about the weather but only a few really understand how dependent we are on reporting and using scientific data in our daily lives. This morning I can only say that the sun is shining and it is a perfect day to garden or better still, play golf.