Dispatch from a Heat Wave.
Dear America,
You probably heard about that 116 degree all-time temperature record we recently set for the Pacific Northwest. Well, this is not the kind of exceptionalism celebrated by the famous “Keep Portland Weird” bumper sticker. This dramatic example of “weather weirding” is a frightening glimpse of our climate-changed future, in which this summer will be one of the coolest ones of the rest of our lives, and these extreme weather events get ever more extreme.
We’re not equipped for life in a heat dome, and already there are reports of lives lost—vulnerable unhoused folks, and farm workers on the job. To share a sense of the experience, crows were mouth breathing, people were hosing down chickens & beehives on the hour, leaves of even well-watered plants were crisped by the hot wind, fruit cooked on the shrubs & trees, transit shut down because of warped tracks and melted cables, and asphalt on the roads buckled and ruptured.
Since we’ve captured your attention, there are a few ideas we’d like you to entertain:
We hate to break it to you, but it’s time to end your love affair with your gas stove and get electrified. So long, indoor air pollution—hello induction range! Learn how to cut the methane pipeline to your home at ElectrifyNow.net
Gasp— “Is my money financing climate change?!” Well, if you bank with Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, or Bank of America or use their credit cards, the answer is “Yes.” Find out how your bank scores, then move your money!
Put some fun between your legs and go by bike! Boomers and Millennials alike are discovering that an e-bike can replace a car for 75% of trips around town, depending on where you live. If you do need to own a car, switch to one without a tank and enjoy never visiting a gas station again.
Help lock up carbon. Protect forests (stop wiping your posterior with virgin trees!), and support farmers who actively build soil.
The news will continue to churn, and sooner or later another record-setting weird weather event will briefly seize the headlines. So whatever else you do this summer, those of us here in the PNW ask that you join us in making a plan to wean yourself from the fossil fuel teat. Save the humans!
Sincerely,
(formerly mild and misty) Portland