Global projections are dire for the decades ahead, and for the region where I live in the Lower Midwest, it is likely that by 2030 summers will be a somewhat warmer and drier, springs a little earlier and wetter, autumns and winters milder. Tornadoes may be more frequent, as Tornado Alley moves east from Oklahoma.
Other changes might be expected, however, and they will be due not only to weather events but also to cumulative habitat destruction and pollution. Studies suggest that is likely that the insect population will continue to fall rapidly. The number of bird species will probably decline, perhaps as much as 50 percent by 2030.
There may be a sudden increase in nights without fireflies or crickets, a silent spring and summer in which robins and song sparrows and cardinals may no longer greet the dawn.
And these would also be warnings of even more drastic transformations to come.
On the other hand, while it may not be possible to reverse the global climatic momentum, individual and community efforts can help to keep the natural environment more stable. Among the many things that could be done include an increase in the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers, the creation of ponds for aquaculture and for nurturing wildlife, the curtailment of pesticides and herbicides by increasing organic agriculture.
The list of actions, of course, is endless. In this struggle for survival, however, each person and place of compassion matters. An oasis of intent and effort is a force of resistance. Such resistance becomes more precious the greater the odds that press against it.
This is Bill Felker with Poor Will’s Almanack. I’ll be back again next week with notes for the third week of Late Fall. In the meantime, plant a tree, plant anything….resist!
