Scientists have told us that global
warming is real, and they have described many of the catastrophic results, but
as a country, we are unprepared. Many are in denial. When the devastating
effects begin in earnest, where do we go for help? The government will have few
answers, and help may be a long time in coming as the government rushes to
develop resources and plans that should already be in place.
The thing I find the most alarming
about the COVID-19 response was the lack of equipment and safety gear for our
health care providers. One might well mistake us for a third-world country.
What we hear from the experts is that the system was not designed for such an
event. And I ask why not? They knew it was a definite possibility, and we
barely avoided some earlier outbreaks of disease in Africa. The flu of 1918 with
more than 500,000 deaths in the US is well documented. Our government was
warned many times by health organizations about the real possibility of a
pandemic, and still we were unprepared.
Last year, my son and his wife
watched a movie about a pandemic that he related to me when they were visiting.
I remember telling him that my worst fear was not an attack from missiles
launched by North Korea or some other country. My worst fear was that someone
would enter the US with a highly contagious disease and it would spread
throughout the US before it could be contained. And now that fear is being
realized, just as I imagined it. The US was not prepared for such an
occurrence, and I do not think it is prepared for the effects of climate
change. I lived through hurricane Irma in Florida when it ravaged the state,
and it was not a pleasant experience. But I think that event was minor compared
to what the future will bring.
You have probably heard the quote
“Chance favors the prepared mind.” The actual quote in a slightly different
form is from Louis Pasteur. He said, “In the fields of observation chance
favors only the prepared mind.” I think it is time for all of us to
be prepared because the alternative is now staring us in the face. In response
to the coronavirus, rather than a minimal shutdown and quick response, we are
facing extended shutdowns, enormous disruption to business and families, and deaths
in the tens of thousands. Let’s not go down the same path for global warming
and climate change. The effects are real and are already happening, although
for many they are now just an inconvenience. Soon devastating effects will be
felt throughout the world and for many it will be a matter of life and death.
If you find
yourself inconvenienced by the COVID-19 restrictions and the store and
restaurant closings, think about life without shelter, electric power,
mobile-phone reception, and food and water. This is not just a possibility; for
many it will be a reality. And it will not be just the people in some
third-world country. People cannot say they weren’t warned; scientists have
been shouting out the dangers for over a decade. What is missing is a serious
response and preparation on the part of the government.
