Everywhere there is evidence that the Earth is warming at rates not seen in recorded history. Ice ages and temperate periods like the epoch in which we live (the Holocene) have come about over thousands of years. As human populations have increased exponentially, and as we have mined and refined carbon rich ores and deposits of oil, the concentration of greenhouse gases has increased in concert with emissions.
Warming the planet, changing the dynamics of wind and ocean currents, we are beginning to see changes in our ways of life. Agricultural changes include drought, floods, insect booms, and altered growing seasons. The ranges of tree and plant populations, and the insects and birds associated with them, are moving to higher altitudes in many places–changes that go unnoticed except by scientists and Peoples of Place (farmers, naturalists, indigenous cultures).
Without significant and coordinated actions at all levels of human government, we are likely to see major disruptions in our ways of life, and social conflict from disparities in resources to respond and survive.
Find out what your community is doing. Do you have solar companies? Other alternative energy companies? What is your state doing about carbon dioxide emissions?
SOLUTIONS ABOUND: WE NEED CITIZEN PARTICIPATION TO GET THERE
Southeastern Solar Research Center
Go to NOAA’s Vital Signs of the Planet to keep track of Earth changes.
Susan Feathers 
In your email version of this blog, you state ‘We may respond together one day. The question remains, “What will we be able to save of our former lives by then?” ‘
The answer is ultimately nothing – it will all change. The challenge is to make that transformation happen in pieces over time, because we can’t possibly accomplish it all at once.
That’s why my personal focus is on creating a more resilient food system for Tucson. If we can survive each and every partial breakdown, because we have (barely) enough fresh, nutritious, delicious local food to go around (and we agree to share it), then we can make the time we need to adapt and change everything. (I call it the Food Resilience Project)
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I think your focus on the food system is a good one, and I agree, making it sustainable while the climate is changing is going to be very challenging. I admire and support your work Tres…
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