Columnists
Back to it!
Wow! September is happening. Right now. It’s time for back to school, back to work, back to wearing shoes, back to bagged lunches and back to regular bedtimes. I like September now that LOML and I are retired because we don’t have to be bothered by most of the back-to’s that define a lot of lives. But we haven’t forgotten the anxious feelings of getting back into a routine. We/I don’t miss the stress.
When I was a kid I actually liked back to school time. Of course I wasn’t the person who had to pack all of the lunches, make sure the shoes, socks, undies, tunics, blouses, trousers, shirts and jackets were clean, pressed and that they fit. I wasn’t the person who had to juggle all of the back-to-school shopping, nor was I the person who had to put on the suit and tie, the wing-tips and the socks and head back to the office. But, I was just the kid who looked forward to new Hilroy scribblers, new HB pencils, new Crayons—preferably Laurentians, recess games of double Dutch, dodgeball and Red Rover. I also looked forward to new Faith and Freedom Readers and all of those new-to-me text books. Was I a nerd? Maybe a bit. Okay, probably a lot. Heck, I even liked the bus ride into town. I’m sure my Mom loved back to school as much as I did. She was always smiling and eagerly waving as we marched across the park to the bus stop on Main Street. It took a lot of years and three kids of my own to understand why she was so happy.
So, September! Cooler mornings. Warm afternoons. Chilly evenings. Sounds idyllic, right?! Yeha, it does. But!
But as concerned as I am about the Hobs-of- Hell summer we just experienced, I am just as concerned about the potential for more catastrophic climate events as we head into the fall and winter. And, seriously, all of us should be concerned as climate change increases the risk of extreme weather events. Those extremes impact ecosystems, agriculture, health and the economy. Lower autumn temperatures are happening later which delays the frost and affects crops. Changes in that timing will disrupt wildlife cycles such as migration and food availability for wildlife. And while we’re all hoping the heat waves are over, climate change professionals/specialists tell us we will experience more late season heat waves along with more frequent and more intense storms. After a drought, like we’ve experienced, an intense rainstorm will bring flooding and crop destruction. The drought, as many living on wells have experienced, reduced the water levels in the ground. Many people I’ve chatted with have had to buy several loads of water for their wells. Buying a load of water isn’t inexpensive. Buying several loads of water can be an out-ofreach expense for a lot of people. What has this got to do with back-to-school?
Thought you’d never ask! If all y’all are feeling the stress of climate change, think about how the kids in your life are dealing with such a barrage of bad news on the climate front. Mostly, a kid won’t have much to say if your line of questioning is as direct as “How do you feel about climate change.” Most kiddos are going to say something like along the lines of “whatever” or “I don’t care” or “who cares” or “not my problem” or they may shrug and ask, “What’s for dinner?”. It might be a good time to have “the chat”. It might be time to find a way to involve your kiddos in a discussion about what’s causing climate change and reassure them by letting them know there are real solutions. Talk to your kids about the kids who are making a difference. Talk about how kids can engage with local politicians. Steer your young people toward social media sites where their voices and actions will be heard. Help your young people understand the urgency of climate change solutions and how we/you/they can have a real impact on outcomes. “Frame the problem as a challenge for everyone to work together to create solutions.”
September is all about back-to-learning.
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