Aging and global warming

Editor, Gettysburg Times,

Several months back, my wife remarked how nice my white hair looked. I honestly failed to see just how much white hair I had. What surprised me wasn’t my aging head, it was the changes that took place without my noticing them. Somehow, we don’t notice small incremental changes that occur month over month, year over year. That’s the way I see global warming. Slowly, relentlessly the tons of carbon we place in our environment is slowly, sometimes imperceptibly, changing our world, changing it in ways that are and will become increasingly injurious to our health, our overall welfare, and the way we enjoy this marvelous gift, our home, earth.

But global warming is not like an aging head of hair. Global warming is an immediate and direct threat to our existence – it is an existential threat. And we are no longer talking about turning things around. Many scientists believe we are past the point of no return. Yet, we are all acting as if all will turn out okay. Many, too many, political leaders have poo-pooed the whole idea of global warming. For example, on Monday, when our ‘global warming czar,’ Sen. John Kerry, was testifying, he was personally belittled by some instead of exploring what we can do to save the planet for our kids.

Enjoy the beach? In our lifetime, enjoying time at the shore may no longer be possible as ocean waters warm, blooms grow and sharks search beaches for food. Enjoy hiking? A family of five and their dog died in California last week due to excessive temperatures. If you’re elderly, your body cannot handle the heat. The EU reported that 60,000 people died last year due to extreme temperatures.

What are we to do? The most important thing we can do is call upon our political leaders to take this issue for what it is – life-threatening, existential. Changes are required and they will cost us. If we can afford it, we must purchase more efficient vehicles, install solar panels, and ensure our appliances, heating, and A/C systems are running efficiently and our homes well insulated. But we cannot do it without robust and forceful leadership from our representatives in Harrisburg and Washington. The consequences of global warming are not like growing white hair. We urgently need to secure the planet for the next generation. We cannot fail them. Tell your representatives!

Tony McNevin,
Gettysburg