Whether uber conservatives and their
new President Elect care to admit it or
not every month of 2016 thus far has
surpassed any prior record for being
the HOTTEST ever. Thus it's hard to
ignore "global warming." Even if it's
still deemed controversial by some,
one must concur that we're all getting
warmer year after year. However if one
ponders history, it could just be part of
our global ebb and flow. Rather than a
sign of destruction. Therefore could the
odd warm day simply be normal?
Here in Montana our nights have hit
below zero for at least a week. That's
after we enjoyed a more than lovely
temperate autumn. Thus Lewistown
was caught off guard by such a major
cold snap. It's hard to remain positive
when the mercury barely hits above
zero. What's confusing is that much
of the world is sweating it out while
we're freezing our asses off. Why do
they get to benefit from our global
crisis while we're forced to chill? Is
global warming another liberal plot?
Naysayers aside, I'm still worried about
those glaciers melting up north. While
they may have been dripping for many
centuries, suddenly they're leaking like
our electoral system's security. Nobody
expects their ice cube will last forever.
So maybe we're being foolhardy in our
concern about glaciers that at one time
covered the earth dissipating? If one
could travel back in time to chat with
our ice age forefathers, we would hear
of their concerns about where they'd
go should they lose their floe!
Skeptics argue that long ago our globe
was covered by agua. Did the cavemen
worry about their shoreline receding as
much as we're concerned about ocean
levels rising? Back then the wise man
built his house upon stone versus sand.
Most set their homes far from the shore
to avoid any impact from tidal erosion.
Somewhere along the way we decided
that Mother Nature was not an issue.
And that we were powerful enough to
usurp natural phenomena. Remember -
the Titanic was touted as "unsinkable!"
Friends, you don't have to be a scientist
to know that if one lives on the edge,
the odds are against you. There is a
natural cycle to life. Forests burn and
then arise from the ashes. Yet should
we tempt fate? If it seems to be getting
warmer, why would we reject attempts
to keep our cool? Or do we give up the
fight and let nature take it's course. All
of Mr. Trump's experts say it's going to
be just fine. Of course they're the ones
who said smoking was good for you...
So who do you believe? Left or right?
Everyone loves chatting about the
weather. In retail many consider
such a dialogue taboo, an excuse
for bad sales. However the fact is
that if the temperature is warmer
one year to the next you either sell
more shorts and tees or less winter
boots and coats. Year after year
I've sat through sob sister sessions
where merchants pontificate on the
impact of the thermometer. Maybe
we all just need to accept that we
can't control everything?
Everything is cyclical thus we live
in an ever changing world. Given
we've tracked our weather for just
over a hundred years, chances are
we might think differently had we
kept records for those millions of
years we know nothing about. But
if we listen to those who say it's
all a game - don't we increase our
risks of losing? Is short term gain
and related profits worth the long
term risks of business as usual?
Could we unleash a new ice age?
Ultimately one must embrace that it's
a crap shoot every morning as you
walk out of the door. If you bring an
umbrella you will not need it. But if
you don't, you will. The only thing
one can predict is that the weather is
unpredictable. Should we go with the
flow or try to do something about it?
One thing is certain, whether it rains
or snows retailers will sell umbrellas.
That seems to be the only weather
related phenomena we can count on!
The question is will we sink or swim?
