August 15, 2018

It’s hard to believe that nearly thirty years have passed since scientists first began warning people about global warming and climate change.  That news was controversial at the time and skeptics dismissed it as fake news from environmental “tree huggers”.  The danger, if real, seemed far off.

While President Trump and some conservatives are still in denial, climatologists and experts the world over universally understand that the issue is real, dangerous and it is affecting us now.   The polar ice sheets are shrinking, glaciers are melting, oceans are rising, and droughts and fires are spreading. Animals and insects are moving northward, and even farmers are changing their crops to deal with hotter or drier weather patterns.

In Northeast Ohio, we can expect hotter summers, more violent storms, and higher utility and insurance bills.  It’s probably not a good time to buy property on the Florida, Virginia, or Louisiana coasts.

We live in a free country, and folks still have the right to believe what they wish.  They can still buy big trucks and SUV’s, and crank up the air conditioning. They can still vote to “bring back coal”.  But we also will have to explain to our children and grandchildren why we let this happen. 

It might not be too late, and many people are trying to create a sustainable planet by switching to cleaner energy, reducing waste, and planting trees.  But unless we pay attention to the science and get smarter in our planning, then this beautiful Earth, already groaning under the weight of nearly eight billion people, will soon become a much less pleasant place to call home.

Craig Covey

Perry Township