Thoughts about the warming planet

Last week I was joking around about the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having over the past month or so, but it got me thinking about the bigger picture, and it’s honestly frightening to think about where the planet is going to be in 50 years, or 100.

I’m not, nor do I try to be a scientist, but it has to make you think when its above zero degrees in the middle of February, what kind of impact will it have on the environment. The problem is, even if we wanted things to change, it’s way beyond that now.

We live in a society that is so vast in numbers, and so accustomed to using up resources that it would take too much of a shift to really see an impact on what’s happening. Our collective greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and at this point it’s beyond the point of saving in my humble opinion.

Again, not a zoologist, but it’s pretty logical to think that if temperatures continue to rise like this it will affect migration patterns, hibernation patterns, not to mention destroying habitat, food supply, you name it.

I was thinking about all this, and it my mind shifted to my own carbon footprint. I mean, words are great, but what am I actually doing to prevent the problem?

I drive a car daily, I recycle as much as possible but I don’t compost, I eat red meat. We all live in our own bubbles and when you have a day-to-day life, with work, school, friends, a significant other, it can be hard to think about the world as a whole.

It’s human nature to be narrowminded at times with the tasks that are directly in front of you, as opposed to be constantly thinking about how every little action you take impacts the greater good of the planet’s health.

I’m just as guilty as anyone, but it seems to me that society sometimes have a tendency to take planet earth for granted. A lot of people know that global warming is real, but there’s that little voice in the back of your head saying;

“Ah, I mean come on, the earth has been around for billions of years, we’ve got nothing to worry about for lifetimes, right?

Maybe. But then again, in the last 20 to 30 years average temperatures have risen quite a bit, who knows what could happen in the next 30. Like I said though, I’m not a scientist.