The fiery truth of earthly fires and floods
In April, a video that captured a Canadian family’s home being consumed by fire went viral. It was both harsh to watch and fascinating. Any homeowner likely felt a pain at the pit of the stomach as the flames and smoke swallowed the cozy living room. The fire spread so quickly there was no time to plan or pack up their life to move to another city.
Weeks later, Fort McMurray is all but ash and so is more than 500,00 of Northern Alberta land. And still, there’s not much rain in the forecast to cool the heat.
Step back from Canada — way back — and imagine the effects that our chronic use of CO2 is having on planet earth. That takes a bit more energy to envision because it doesn’t give the instant visual drama of an unstoppable blaze.
In other words, it’s difficult for many to comprehend the effects that climate change is having on our earth — until the consequences reaches their doorstep. When we watch the continuation of this Canadian inferno, however, we see the effects of climate change.
Fort McMurray, Canada hasn’t seen rainfall in over two months. And, now more than ever, firefighters are desperate for rain to pour down from the heavens.
The impacts of climate change are not breaking news. It is not an exclusive story.
We are seeing increased frequency of extreme weather events around the globe. Climate change impacts include droughts and unusually high rain fall resulting in floods.
And, we’ve watched the flood damage done in recent months.
Major flash floods hit Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas. We’ve seen the roads washed out, water pouring out from streams and flooding stretching over residential and business areas.
But when the news of death and destruction pass, and the flood and drought conditions subside, there is no cause for concern to do something. Controlling our contributions to climate change isn’t a priority. Well, at least not for the American government.
For over a decade, the U.S. Congress has been debating whether and how to implement various carbon reduction measures in America. Although President Barack Obama endorsed a long-term target that would cut emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, there hasn’t been congressional agreement on legislation.
Let’s not forget former Vice President Al Gore, who made headlines after drawing attention to climate change. You don’t hear much about him in this current political arena; however, he remains steadfast in raising awareness about the climate crisis and has founded The Climate Reality Project.
And, following a symbolic 2016 Earth Day meeting, more than 175 countries committed to sign the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Political change will come but we can’t deny what’s in front of us right now.
With the Pacific Hurricane Season approaching, we can expect to see more extreme events dominating news with videos of destruction going viral. There’s a need to prepare for the worse not out of fear but of knowledge of what has now become, predictable situations.
Learn about the types of emergencies that can arise. The American Red Cross has a great breakdown of what these emergencies are. It’s important to know the facts and be prepared.
Preparedness includes making a plan, putting together an emergency kit, and staying informed.
As the saying goes: it’s not a matter of if a disaster will happen, it’s when.
