Climate Change Perspective

There have been questions and comments about my view on climate change. I offer here some thoughts. The phrases “climate change”, “global warming”, and “extreme weather” appear in the news or social media feeds almost daily to serve as a constant reminder that something is “changing” out in the real-world and implies the greater global conversation would benefit having your attention, or at minimum a general awareness. I tend to agree.For a proactive dialogue on the matter, the overarching climate change discussion necessitates unbiased peer-reviewed scientific analyses coupled with effective two-way communication engaging the general public, corporations, and governmental entities to help facilitate understanding of climate change observations, projections, and potential societal implications. At the end of the day, we are all sharing the same planet, a closed natural system that has been tasked with balancing a plethora of energy inputs and outputs.

The surge in our data observation capability (land, sea, and satellite) since the latter 20th century do demonstrate a reliable and generalized global warming trend. What makes the climate change topic particularly difficult to appreciate, study, and communicate are the numerous global energy feedbacks that are at play all at once yet individually have variable weighted contributions in a lead-lag fashion. Like a domino effect, tweaks in one response may trigger tipping points that would amplify or dampen other feedback domains. This is nothing new for our planet’s history as climate records can attest to (ice cores, tree rings, etc.). Climate change is constant, however, our environmental footprint in modern society has now suddenly become trackable on the grand stage and appears significant enough to become a novel wildcard in the global energy balance equation.

Vitally, a foundation of patience as understanding catches up with reality can help pave the way for ongoing constructive climate change dialogue. I firmly believe, though, that efforts inspiring creativity and implementation of sustainable living practices need not wait for a proverbial 11th hour. A collective choice to pivot can be made in the present!

Photo Credit: Jonny William Malloy