climate change

Reblog: We Are Finite (FOWC)

Fandango2 Comments

I rarely reblog other bloggers’ posts, but I thought this post, written in response to my one-word prompt, “finite, gives us some extraordinary insights into the potential impacts of climate change and reminds us that our time on the planet if we ignore it, is finite.

Wanderlust and Wonderment

Fandango’s One Word Challenge today is finite. I have read other posts that have managed to cover several one word daily prompts in one post, which I admire. I have not attempted to do that. I don’t usually respond to the daily prompts due to lack of time or lack of inspiration. But the concept of FINITE got me to thinking…

Is there really such a thing as infinity or is it merely theoretical? Energy is infinite: it cannot be created or destroyed so it just moves around from one energy-based organism to another. Supposedly the universe is infinite, numbers are infinite, but the human mind cannot really conceive of infinity. In the human mind everything is finite. Our lives are finite: we are born on a particular date, we live our lives and then we die. Our experience exists within a finite framework: We live on a finite…

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Running Out of Time

Fandango6 Comments

08629265-E2D2-460B-AE84-CC517726E84E“You’re trying my patience, Alan,” Elizabeth said. “I know you know enough about female physiology to understand that there is a finite period of time for women to safely give birth to a healthy baby and my biological clock is ticking.”

“Yes, I do know that,” Alan admitted. “And I agree that someday soon….”

“Someday soon? Seriously?” Elizabeth said, tears starting to well up in her eyes. “We’ve been together for almost twelve years, Alan, and you know how much I want a baby before it’s too late for me. The truth is that my window to get pregnant and to carry a baby to term is going to be closing very soon. I’m running out of time, so ‘someday’ just won’t cut it. Why won’t you commit to this for me, for us, for our future?”

“Elizabeth,” Alan said, “Between all of the geo-political chaos happening around the globe and the potential impact on the sustainability of human life on our planet due to unabated climate change, perhaps brining a child into this world is not such a good idea.”

“Get out!” Elizabeth screamed. “Pack your bags and leave. I can’t believe how I’ve wasted my time with you. Leave now.”

“Elizabeth, you’re being a little rash, don’t you think?” Alan said, reaching his hand toward her to touch her face. She swatted his hand away and picked up her phone. “Who are you calling?” Alan asked.

“Building security.”

Written for these daily prompts: Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (finite), Your Daily Word Prompt (someday), Word of the Day Challenge (commit), and Ragtag Daily Prompt (security). Photo credit: Seth Macey@unsplash.

The Wrong Direction

Fandango11 Comments

99bab59a-1cd6-4624-93ea-1c0dfbba00f6

It was a very rainy Sunday where we live, so my wife and I searched for a lightweight movie to watch and we finally settled on “The American President,” starring Michael Douglas and Annette Benning.

The movie was entertaining and enjoyable in a rainy Sunday afternoon kind of way. But what struck me most about this 1995 movie is that the Michael Douglas’ character, the President, was trying to push gun control legislation through Congress. And Annette Benning’s character, a lobbyist, was trying to get legislation passed to reduce carbon emission levels in order to combat global warming and climate change.

So we are, almost a quarter of a century later, and our Congress has not only not made any progress in either of these critical issues, but since Donald Trump was elected President, we’re actually moving in the wrong direction.

Our lawmakers should be ashamed of themselves.

Theater of the Absurd

Fandango16 Comments

FFA7F033-CE03-40EA-AC3E-BD5D1ACE0710“Honestly,” Larry said, “we are experiencing a real-life theater of the absurd.”

“A real life what?” Mark asked.

“You know, it’s theater in which standard or naturalistic conventions of plot, characterization, and thematic structure are ignored or distorted in order to convey the irrational nature of reality and the essential isolation of humanity in a senseless world,” Larry explained.

“I still don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mark said.

“Our president participating in a golden shower in Moscow is what I’m talking about,” Larry said. “Our president as a barrier standing in the way of doing anything to combat climate change is what I’m talking about. Our president creating chaos….”

“It’s a good thing we have such a solid friendship, Larry,” Mark interrupted, “because I think you’re starting to lose it.”

“Don’t you get it, man?” Larry asked. “We need someone inspiring, someone who can perform a freaking miracle, someone who can restore sanity and stability to this great country of ours.”

“So basically you’re saying we need the second coming of Jesus to get us out of this shit,” Mark said.

“Whatever it takes, man.”

Written for these one-word prompts: Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (theater),  The Wacky Weekend Challenge (shower), Scotts Daily Prompt (barrier), Ragtag Daily Prompt (friendship),  Word of the Day Challenge (inspiring), and Your Daily Word Prompt (miracle).

#writephoto — From the Gut

Fandango10 Comments

4F3B9FDE-E543-4EBA-92BD-8930EB83B992The first snow of the season. It wasn’t much, maybe a few inches, but it was enough to blanket the fields in snow and to cover the trails and paths.

“It’s early, John,” Maria said. “Is this a harbinger of a cold, wet, white winter?”

“It’s late November, dear,” John said. “So this first snow is actually a little late, in contrast to the past few years.”

“The weather seems to be changing,” Maria said. “Summers seem to be longer, dryer, and hotter. Fall is shorter, winters are colder and wetter, and spring has just about disappeared.”

“Oh come on, Maria,” John said. “Are you going to start going off on that climate change crap again?”

“But, John, are you unaware of the climate change assessment report that was prepared with input from 13 federal agencies involving around 300 scientists?” Maria said.

“Of course I’m aware of it,” John said. “But you know that Trump said that people like him, who have very high levels of intelligence, don’t believe it.”

“Why doesn’t he believe it, John? Where does he get his information?”

“He gets it from his gut,” John said. “He said that his gut tells him more than anybody else’s  brain can ever tell him. So he’s going with his gut.”

“But did you hear the nonsense he spewed when he said this?”

“You look at our air and our water, and it’s right now at a record clean. But when you look at China and you look at parts of Asia and when you look at South America, and when you look at many other places in this world, including Russia, including — just many other places — the air is incredibly dirty. And when you’re talking about an atmosphere, oceans are very small. And it blows over and it sails over. I mean, we take thousands of tons of garbage off our beaches all the time that comes over from Asia. It just flows right down the Pacific, it flows, and we say where does this come from. And it takes many people to start off with.”

“Does any of that word salad make sense to you, John?” Maria asked.

“Okay, maybe his gut was a little off when he said that,” John admitted. “Let’s just enjoy the first snow of the season, shall we?”

“I’m good with that, John,” Maria said, squeezing her husband’s hand.

Written for Sue Vincent’s Thursday Photo Prompt. I also fit in these prompts: Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (contrast), Ragtag Daily Prompt (unaware), and Your Daily Word Prompt (information).