CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATE

We've not had rain here in Maine in about two weeks which is very unusual.  The temperatures have been very high and the ground is becoming hard and dusty.  I'd call it a drought.  In the next 10 days the weather forecasts predict one day of rain if we are lucky.

When we moved to Maine in 2003 I remember with great pleasure that we only had to use a fan one time our entire first summer.  Since then each summer we've had to use fans more and more often.  Now we are using fans every day and often at night.  Sometimes in the past we had to wear long pants and sweaters after sundown but not these days.

I've already written that we had virtually no snow here in Maine last winter.  Most lakes and ponds never froze enough for ice fishing.  The ski industry was hit hard.

Our right-wing Tea Party Gov. LePage (always in the news for saying stupid and cruel things) is a climate change denier.  He has yet to stick his toe into the topic of Maine setting record high temperatures this spring.  It's amazing that so many people don't want to talk about the obvious.

While walking the dog today I mentioned the heat to one neighbor.  He said he didn't care about global warming because he was going to die soon anyway.  I asked about the future generations.  He replied, "That's their problem."

It reminded me of many years ago speaking to a group of senior citizens in Florida about nuclear weapons.  Many of them had the same response - I am going to die soon so what does it matter.  People are losing their sense of responsibility to the coming generations.  The "me-me-me" centered culture in this country has broken that link between the old and the young.  Very sad indeed.

Update:  We got some much needed rain in the middle of the night.  I could hear our garden plants cheering.