‘Global weirding’ brings tornadoes, flooding to Ky. Here’s what we can do to stop it.
If anyone in Kentucky was unaware that we are in a climate crisis, the events of last month should make it clear. The Earth’s climate systems are unstable because we burn oil, gas, and coal for energy, and the consequences are now obvious. If you spend time in nature, working, farming, or hiking with your family, you are already aware of the rapid changes that are taking place, but the realization has come slowly to some people.
In December of 2021, thousands of Kentucky families lost their homes and all their possessions to storms, including multiple tornadoes. We saw the highest temperatures ever recorded on Christmas and New Years in Lexington. It rains in Kentucky now more than ever, and more of that rain is coming in heavy storms that cause flooding.
Catastrophic weather has dramatically increased because our atmosphere is warmer. We add more carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere by burning oil, gas, and coal, and those gases stay in the atmosphere for a very long time, acting as a blanket to trap heat. As the atmosphere warms up, there is more energy to create strong storms, excess rainfall in some areas, and drought in others. This doesn’t mean it is always hotter, but the climate is increasingly chaotic, creating what climate scientist Dr. Katherine Hayhoe calls “global weirding.” Global weirding means that extreme weather happens more often, as we saw last month.
Scientists have known for over 100 years that climate change would worsen unless we did something about it. However, we have been stunned at the speed and ferocity with which the crisis has worsened. We have been equally stunned by the failure of our society to take action in the face of an obvious threat.
The good news is that we know how to fix the problem. Major new technologies or inventions are useful but not essential. Wind and solar energy are now so inexpensive worldwide, and electric vehicle technology sufficiently mature, that it will be fairly easy to shut off our fossil fuel addiction in favor of renewable energy. The technology is there, but we have lacked the will to rapidly implement the transition to renewables.
If it’s so simple, why haven’t we done it? In truth, the transition to a renewable energy economy is under way. Renewable energy capacity is increasing, nationwide and in Kentucky. In Martin County, Edelen Renewables is installing solar panels on reclaimed surface mines that will power 30,000 homes.
Yet we are not moving fast enough because fossil fuel companies and their investors have spent billions of dollars to convince us and our politicians to do nothing, and to pressure our news media to downplay the crisis. We think of the fossil fuel companies as all-powerful and hard to defeat, but the truth is that you and I own these companies: 75% of oil and gas company stocks are owned by our pension funds, mutual funds, and IRAs. If we use our voices, we can force an end to the false propaganda that is stalling progress in solving the climate crisis.
Can we, at last, wake up from our fossil fuel stupor and use 2022 to accelerate the progress toward renewable energy that we need? The only thing we have to gain is a better quality of life for everyone. Oil, gas, and coal are damaging to us in many ways aside from climate change, from the air pollution that kills millions of people to the vast amounts of plastic that wind up in our waterways and oceans. Extracting fossil fuels from the ground damages our land and water beyond repair and is a major factor in the loss of plant and animal diversity worldwide. Our cities are choked with gas-guzzling cars, reducing the quality of urban life. Once we power our world with the sun and wind, we will lead happier, healthier lives in a more beautiful world.
The fastest way to move toward a renewable energy economy is to exercise our political and economic power. Too many politicians are at the behest of the fossil fuel industry, and are incapable of acting on our behalf. Too many investment management organizations are unwilling to divest of fossil fuel stocks. Too many of us are caught in a consumer economy that falsely equates buying stuff to happiness. Too many of us spend our lives indoors, and don’t experience the beauty of nature.
So what should we, as individuals and families, do? I suggest three important things that will help make a better world: First, live as simply as you are willing to do. Second, spend more time in nature for its own rewards and to help you better understand and appreciate our world. Third, vote as if our lives depend on it, because they do.
Tom Kimmerer, PhD, is a forest scientist and author. He can be contacted at his website, www.kimmerer.com.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 11:14 AM.