Some will say that there are going to be winners and losers as our Rochester, NY region warms up. They say some business will do well, like the boating industry and fence installers. And some won’t do so well, like snow-plowers and skiing industries. Some, of course, will say that this unusually warm winter is a complete anomaly and is just a normal swing in the yearly climate cycle. According to their view, nobody should worry their pretty little heads over a single very warm winter. Some others don’t see a cycle, but a steady spiraling towards increase warming.
Around the world and throughout the climate scientific community, the overwhelming evidence that warming is happening is over. That ship has sailed. Only in the US is denial so rampant. Why? There are reasons. One view is that denial in the US might be a peculiar kind of apathy:
Keeping climate change on regional agendas despite public apathy | Great Lakes Echo While environmental organizations and agencies try to bring attention to climate change in the Great Lakes region, the public apparently doesn’t care much about it. Two weeks ago, a Pew survey showed global warming ranking last among public priorities. That comes as the National Wildlife Federation and EcoAdapt release a climate-driven guide for Great Lakes restoration. It draws from peer-reviewed science and summarizes what’s happening with the region’s changing climate, including: warmer temperatures and increased precipitation, and environmental effects like more sedimentation, spreading of invasive species, decreased wetlands and evolving vegetation. (February 6, 2012) Great Lakes Echo - Environmental news across the basin
My view of the whole apathy/denial thing is different. I think there’s a strange hypocrisy going on in the US on Climate Change. While a sizable portion of the public, the media, and our politics is infused with Climate Change denial, our government is actually studying the effects of Climate Change and working up scenarios to address it. When you read the full version of the NYSERDA’s ClimAID report, you can get a pretty good idea of the Likely Changes coming to our region because of Climate Change. From there you can extrapolate what businesses may fare well in our region for awhile.
“Climate change is already beginning to affect the people and resources of New York State, and these impacts are projected to grow. At the same time, the state has the potential capacity to address many climate-related risks, thereby reducing negative impacts and taking advantage of possible opportunities. ClimAID: the Integrated Assessment for Effective Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in New York State was undertaken to provide decision-makers with cutting-edge information on the state's vulnerability to climate change and to facilitate the development of adaptation strategies informed by both local experience and scientific knowledge.”Report 11-18 Response to Climate Change in New York State (ClimAID)
ClimAID is a conservative report backed by a lot of research and it is very comprehensive. It covers the gambit of changes our government anticipates and it has a good idea of the many knowledge gaps in the study. Rather than sitting on the fence on Climate Change, it explains without compromise that Climate Change is here and it must be addressed. There are many Climate Change studies cropping up all over the country, because our energy, transportation, public health, and many other authorities responsible for your life and livelihood, have to plan for many changes.
You don’t have to take my word for it that your government already ‘gets it’ on Climate Change and is frantically moving to address it. Check this out from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DEC to Host National Public Meeting on the Draft National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Division of Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies will co-host a public meeting to discuss the draft National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy. The public meeting will take place at DEC's central office, 625 Broadway, Albany on Thursday, February 9th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is geared toward providing a unified approach-reflecting shared principles and science-based practices-to reduce negative impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife, plants and the natural systems they depend. Federal, state and tribal partners, with input from many diverse groups across the nation, are collaborating to develop a common strategy to respond to the challenges a changing climate poses for our nation's species, ecosystems and natural resources. (February 6, 2012) Press Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
But in the public arena, too many are stilling on the sidelines. Maybe the US public wants its cake and eat it too: the public wants to forget about Climate Change and assume others will attend to it. This is reflected in the way our mainstream media reports on this incredibly warm winter and what is in store for our region, though they are still incapable or unwilling to mention Climate Change.
Businesses, nature try to weather the warm winter | Democrat and Chronicle | democratandchronicle.com From bugs to buds, and lots of flora, fauna and financial enterprises in between, this season's unusually warm weather could have a big impact. For example, bait shops that depend on ice fishing to make ends meet in the winter months have taken a huge hit. (February 5, 2012) Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York | democratandchronicle.com
But you don’t ‘get’ Climate Change until you understand that everything will revolve around Climate Change. It cannot be put aside for someone else to take care of, like a car problem you pay the mechanics to fix. It’s a problem that will involve everyone everywhere getting on board because we have to lower the concentration of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and if will affect all aspects of how we live. It’s physics and it will be inconvenient, unfair, expensive, and even more so if we continue to do nothing.
Hence, the calculation to figure out who wins and losses in Climate Change is this: Some may selfishly think they are going to win in the short run, but in the long run (which is getting nearer and nearer) no one wins.
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