It’s good to note that with events like this becoming the norm, skeptics who require in-your-face evidence (“that water’s hot, let me force your hand into it to prove it.”) may now be getting a solid dose of reality.
One could hope. But so what?
Believe me, I sympathize with every rational mind who believes this is a problem of epic proportions. But who here have stopped commuting to work and insisted on telecommuting instead? Who here have decided to forgo airline travel? Who here have turned their thermostats down in winter and up in summer? Who here have truly made the sacrifices that must be made to change the climate? Some no doubt, or rather we hope (I have). But I’m sure we’re the equivalent to China or India. We won’t change until the other guy does.
Change is hard (right Simba?) And many of us won’t change until we get cracked in the head with evidence that directly impacts us explicitly. When a couple of ice shelves break off in Antarctica and the seas are suddenly a foot higher — yeah, that would certainly get the world’s attention. If crude oil jumped to $200/barrel, that would be a shock. If a global carbon tax were enacted, that might provide the incentive. Until then at least we’ll have a rink side seat as the ice under the players quickly turns to tepid pools.
Anonymole - apocryphal agitators 