Trouble in the Arctic

CNN has a reporter in Arctic Russia. It appears that due to extreme heat and drought much of northern Russia is on fire- the area is half the size of the continental USA. Smoke from this three month long blaze is beginning to migrate to the northwestern part of our country.

 

July has been the hottest month in recorded history across the world. The excessive heat has not only caused fires it has started to melt the permafrost in the far north. A Russian scientist in a cave is pointing to the fast melting ice ceiling in a cave. In addition to the carbon added to the atmosphere by the fires, the carbon stored up in the permafrost for a million years is also being released. Wait, there’s more. The volume of the ice is far greater than the volume of the water that remains after the ice melts. The melting permafrost is causing the earth above to collapse into the giant holes left as the permafrost melts. This creates massive mile long sink holes that swallow trees and soon, the nearby cities.

 

How could this three month disaster not be mentioned in the news long ago? I guess we were too concerned about the Mueller report.

 

Shaken, I got up for a brief coffee break. I returned to CNN for some good news. The nuclear arms race is on. The decades old nuclear treaty with Russia has just been cancelled. The USA will start new missile tests in three weeks. North Korea is building a submarine that can launch nuclear missiles. The China trade war is now permanent and prices will soon rise here on nearly everything creating a world-wide recession.

 

I can’t take it. I’m off to Costco for my scheduled bi-monthly shopping trip. As I enter the building my serotonin levels rise as a smiling greeter offers me cheesecake samples. I am surrounded by endless racks of clothing, flat screen TVs showing panoramic views of the worlds’ best beaches and a gorgeous 10 by 10 tent with a set of camping chairs, table and camping stove- all for a mere $1200. I may as well throw in the 5 foot tall Teddy bear sitting next to the display, onIy $19.99.

 

No, stick to the mission. I also resisted the temptations to buy 10 pound boxes of cookies, cakes, muffins and Danish sweets. There also was a sale on a giant carton of Depends. Maybe I should buy it and store it for the inevitable future. No, stay the course.

 

Bringing my two items to the register, a mile and a half to the left, I placed my two regular orders on the belt- a two month supply of lamb chops for the freezer and two gigantic bags of salted almonds. I was surrounded by customers with huge carts overflowing with their purchases. They look at me and my tiny purchase with a mixture of shock and pity.

 

I was about to escape the temptations around me but faced one more hurdle. The snack bar at the exit. Yes, I would be a fool to pass up the foot long hot dog, huge soda and bag of chips for the ridiculously low price of $1.49. But I weighed that against the likelihood that the treat would cost me 3 months of my life and marched on.

 

On the return home I was treated to a PBR story of how scientists predict one quarter of all countries will have no water in less than 30 years due to global warming. My mind recalls a major city in South Africa that has run out of water already. My mind refuses to go there. The defense department is seeing this water shortage as a national security threat though it doesn’t know how to make this a front page issue. Actually, I understand why people are in denial. Who wants to contemplate the manmade end of “civilization”? I think I’ll add a big pile of French fries to those lamb chops I’ll grill tonight.

 

At home I turn on CNN again. It is an irresistible impulse, like staring at an accident scene. Yes, there were puppies. How cute. Then the announcer stated they were all eaten by patrons of a Chinese restaurant chain. The banner ran below announcing that a tornado in Tulsa killed 14 and the Dow Jones fell 700 points, signaling the long awaited worldwide recession.

 

Wait, more breaking news. Thirty two people have been killed in two gun massacres. I’m heading back to Costco. I think I’ll rent a small truck and join the regulars. I won’t forget the bear.