“Everyone talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it”, so said Charles Dudley Warner (who was then quoted by his friend Mark Twain, to whom this is usually attributed).
Following in the footsteps of these gentlemen, I’ll talk about the weather.
In Sydney this week it’s been a time of fire and ice.
On Thursday we went from 40 degrees Celsius (that’s 104 degrees for people from the US) to 17 degrees (62 in the US).
The house we’re currently sitting has a swimming pool and a large open fireplace.
I generally am not a water person but for a brief moment the pool was looking very inviting.
Just as I’d decided to take some time out from work and get away from the computer (something you can occasionally do when you work in your own business since you don’t have to get permission from a boss) the temperature plummeted accompanied by gale force winds and heavy rain.
All my good intentions were blown away to be replaced by a sense of relief – I did mention I’m not a water person.
That night we had to light the fire to warm up.
Fortunately, the area we’re in didn’t suffer major damage, unlike a number of areas around Sydney.
Here are some examples.
Unlike in the times of Charles Dudley Warner, we are now in a position to do something about the weather.
I’m not going to get into a discussion about the proof, or otherwise, of the impact of CO2 on global climate change.
Suffice it to say that climate change is real and human activity has been a significant contributor, especially in the last 50 years.
The point is, not whether CO2 is THE cause or a contributing factor, but what we’re going to do about it.
Activity in first world countries like the US, China, India and even Australia (a relatively tiny population but having a significant impact on CO2 levels) is contributing to rising sea levels (swamping low level island nations), ocean temperatures rising, wild fires, dramatic cold spells and lots more.
Ultimately, this could be a good thing as there is the realisation that human activity, wherever it occurs, is impacting the entire planet.
People are now understanding the concept of planet Earth as a global village.
If we can use this awareness to drive co-operation between nations we’ll be making real progress as a species – here’s hoping, wishing and praying (as well as taking personal action).
And now for something completely different.
In case you still think there’s such a thing as co-incidence:
Carl Jung called it synchronicity.
Einstein referred to “spooky forces operating at a distance” (which, in reality, probably has nothing to do with this but I like the sound of it).
As you know, this week saw the passing of David Bowie and actor Alan Rickman, both aged 69 (you didn’t know – what rock are you living under?).
Here’s an excerpt from Column 8 of Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald (which I haven’t checked the veracity of):
“At Muswellbrook gallops on Thursday afternoon, a horse called Bowie’s Babe, ridden by D. Jones won. It was race 6 number 9. (By way of explanation, the late David Bowie was born D. Jones, and died aged 69.)”