Millions of people in the U.S. have been experiencing day after day of extreme heat. Records are being broken throughout the country for temperatures and drought. Over the past year and more, we’ve endured severe weather events to make our heads spin and our wallets thin.
It’s times like these when we need to look at the environmental and political context for our personal ease. How is it possible to be comfortable and relaxed while worrying about the threat of heat-related health emergencies? Where is the ease in losing your home and personal belongings in a tornado or flood?
Of course there are many things we can do to ease the stress of the external circumstances such as the current heat wave–stay in air conditioning, drink extra fluids, be flexible about daily plans, let go of expectations, be mindful of others who are in need.
But this post is not about personal measures to ease our bouts with weather and climate. It’s about taking responsibility for understanding the larger context in which these trends are occurring.
Consider, for example, the piece by Heidi Cullen in the New York Times a few days ago, or Thomas Friedman’s review of the new book The Great Disruption.
There comes a point when we need to understand that in order to insure some sense of ease over the long term, we need to look at external circumstances in our world, and specifically the impending climate crisis.
Try this: Get involved in the effort to cool the planet — for your own sake, and for the ease of future generations:
- Volunteer time or money to one of the many organizations that are active on this front, e.g., Ceres, Union of Concerned Scientists, The Climate Reality Project, and 350.org.
- Learn about and reduce your own carbon footprint.
- Make your voice heard in Washington for significant policy changes
- Consider the climate consequences of your purchases and your investments.
To your ease!
Pat Daniel, Ph.D.