Weather Zen

Climate Change for most of us will be a series of inconveniences. A flooded out road, a late frost, a drought causing brown lawns. While the weather channels focus on crazy scary images of homes being washed away we dismiss the drama because it is too far from our own experience.

We're the frog in the pot. You know the story: a frog dropped in hot water will jump out and save itself, a frog in a pot of cool water gradually heated will stay in until it boils to death. These little tragedies are inuring us to the drama yet to come.

Today's (6/10/2008) severe weather alerts cover the entire US.

• Heavy Snow Warnings - Pacific Northwest
• Wind Advisories - West Central
• Flood Warnings - Upper Midwest and South Central
• Tornado Warnings and Heat Advisory - East Central and Northeast

Major disasters like Katrina and the Myanmar cyclone don't happen every day, thank God. The little ones have always happened. Climate change didn't invent snowstorms or tornadoes. Severe weather is affecting us more often.

I like to think we are smarter than the frog in the pot. Surely we can recognize that our environment is changing and CHOOSE to be prepared. Surely we can recognize our individual responsibilities - preparing for likely weather events in our own neighborhoods. Surely we can insist that our communities and governments use the science and technology available to mitigate and prepare for disaster scenarios before they wipe towns off the map.

There isn't one of us who can fix global climate change by ourselves. We are going to have to live with this for a long time. What we can do is wake up, get prepared and recognize these daily weather inconveniences are not isolated news stories. Jump out of the pot and encourage your friends and family to join you.