The Calm Before

Cool intransigent weather has meant this season of rebirth has progressed with sporadic leaps, long parched weeks followed by welcome downpours when each drop of water clinging to the amborsial honeysuckle seems preciously ephemeral to me.  Gardeners are relieved every time it rains, while the forest seems to be mired in suspenseful hesitation, many leaves still only partially unfurled.  It remains to be seen if some of the recalcitrant trees ever leaf out at all, and if those that have can retain their foliage through what could easily and abruptly become searing hot temperatures.  Though it may appear that a new layer of verdure has emerged, it is merely a verdigris mantle in deceptive shades of chartreuse, jade and viridian that for the moment obscures branches cracking underneath, brittle and scarred like the bony limbs of ancient, petrified crones disinterred by archaeologists.

In such dysphoric times I find some measure of equanimity from the sentiment expressed in the quote at the top.  If only I could once again be one of the pococurante, one of the blithely oblivious majority – but once having peered into the abyss of ecological disaster, the sight cannot be erased because it is everywhere in the landscape.  Gaze deep and long enough, and beyond the initial stupefaction, the long entrapment by rage and grief and guilt, comes the slow realization it is too late for regrets or for blame.  Live what time is left properly – with joy and gratitude, with humility and grace, with love and forgiveness.  It’s obvious most people indulge in hope, believing therein lies some escape from the fate evolution dictated by our essential survival instincts – but I consider that inaccurate not to mention a pointless exercise in prolonging self-torture.  As far as I can tell, there is nothing left but some uncertain amount of time; and unembroidered truth.  And that’s not so bad.

I haven’t got time to put together a post with all the latest information about pollution killing trees, because I’m getting ready to leave for the Age of Limits meeting, but there is one tragedy I just learned of that should not be neglected, which is the controversial plan to remove staggering numbers of trees in California – thousand upon thousands.  Links to two articles are here and here.  Most people who are outraged are no doubt blind to the destruction that is already largely complete.  It’s small wonder that authorities are trying to eliminate vegetation, since it is dying or already dead tinder waiting for an inferno that will be lethal, especially since fire fighting budgets are cut, and housing subdivisions increasingly encroach on forest lands.

Speaking of building in places that shouldn’t be, am I the only one who looked at the pictures of the tornado damage and thought, why are we building in places that are known risky areas?  Frankly this kind of suburban sprall is tragic even if the houses were all still standing – what are we thinking of?  If we’re not drilling it or blowing it up, we’re covering it with pavement and toxic patches of useless lawn.

Why are there schools constructed in the path of monster hurricanes without any sort of shelter for children?  Why was one of the very first things rescued out of a flattened elementary school the Confederate flag?

Oh wait – I would be remiss if I didn’t also allude quickly to the most recent terrifying videos (transcript here) by David Wasdell, who makes a good case that a huge increase in sulphate aerosols from Asia has been reflecting UV radiation, thereby artificially (and only temporarily) averting the warming from CO2 emissions that would otherwise have taken place in the last decade – a dip that can be plainly seen beginning in 2000: