And Lifts Her Leafy Arms to Pray

this week we had a beautiful snowfall, the second of this winter season.  the snow still covers the ground and will probably be around for another couple of days.  the streets have begun to clear, and we may venture out today to buy groceries.  we had planned to go to a concert this evening, but i'm uncertain whether that's a safe trip to make.  we would have to travel about seventy miles each way and would be coming home late in the evening when moisture on the highway may have turned to ice.

as i admire the beauty outside our windows, my thoughts turn to the shoddy way in which we have cared for the planet we call home.  i wonder if future generations will enjoy the same lovely winters that we experience.  will the hardwood forests survive?  will several deep snows fall each winter?  will there still be four distinct seasons, each with its own charms?  one of the reasons we moved here is the mild summers, the characteristic fall colors, and the chilly, but not too severe, winters.  where we lived before, summers were oppressive and winters were more like a continuation of fall.  when it snowed, it barely covered the ground and seldom lasted more than a few hours before melting.  we love the transitions between the seasons here and hope that those who come after us will experience the same enjoyment.

as the earth warms, that hope seems less likely to be realistic.  i fear that we will take steps to ease the pressures on our climate only when it is too late.  the time to act is now.  with each day that passes without recognizing the dangers of continued spewing of greenhouse gasses into the air, the chance to reverse the damage we have done grows slimmer.  we are so greedy that our short-term comfort and wealth have taken precedence over the earth's long-term well-being.  if we deny that we are the reason for climate change, we can eliminate the need to take responsibility for it, telling ourselves that we are going through a natural warming cycle that will in time reverse itself.  those who have made the study of climate change their lives' work tell us otherwise.  the overwhelming majority of climate scientists insist that our practices are the reason climate all over the world is changing, as storms become more frequent and more severe and drought afflicts some regions while flooding happens more often in other areas.

may we awaken to the dangers we are creating.  may we elect leaders who will take the steps necessary to reverse harm to our planet.  may we do what we can as individuals to lessen our carbon footprints, recognizing that these individual efforts can have a huge collective effect.  may we take our responsibilities to future generations seriously, rather than engaging in practices that endanger those who come after us.  may we truly care for one another.  shalom.