Climate change is real, y’all. We’ve pushed everything to its limits for too long, and now we’re watching the climate collapse.
There is no way to live in the smoke-filled western part of the United States — or any part of Australia, as we saw earlier this year — and not realize this.
The question remains: what are we willing to do about it?
The wildfires crept so close to my family home in Portland, Oregon, that we had bugout bags prepared. Even after the risk of fire was gone, our air continued to be the epitome of smog. Yesterday’s rains finally cleared the smoke, and as we walked through the woods today, I felt despondent that our climate is changing the way it is. If only people were more focused on sustainability! We haven’t been doing enough, but hopefully, these trends will wake us up in time to change course. As the Chinese proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” Thank you for your work, Alisa!