written 10 August, 2025
published 17 August, 2025
There is a spectrum for learning. At one end, a single word can be sufficient for the wise. The other extreme is the head through the windshield stye of learning. One quickly leads to increased consciousness. The other perpetuates denial, blames others, and shoots the messenger, rather than learning. Our mad king lives by the windshield style.
He refuses to acknowledge the climate crisis. Perhaps because he doesn't like the people ringing the alarms. Perhaps he gets kickback from the polluters. Perhaps he hears truth coming from his dental fillings. The reason, if one exists, doesn't really matter, but the result is destructive.
In addition to making total climate denial the Federal policy, he is removing any data that contradicts his delusion. He is shutting down research and monitoring systems, people are being fired, even discussion of the issue is curtailed. Satellites are being taken out of service to avoid troublesome data. He believes that if we don't know what is happening, it won't hurt him.
Funds previously allocated for emergency response have been shifted to build deportation concentration camps. Billions of investments in renewable energy are being withdrawn, and shifted into more fossil fuel and nuclear power projects, placing US policy contrary to the global trend. Using the power of his position, he tries forcing other countries to follow his retrograde vision.
But the rest of us live in the real world, where the problem isn't going away, but is growing.
Inundation events are increasing. In just the last few weeks, 8 inches of intense rain caused flash flooding in northern India, destroying a tourist town, washing away multistore buildings with little warning. Weeks of rain in northern China dropped over 23 inches, about what they normally get in a year. The resulting flooding affected more than 300,000 people, including their capital, damaged more than 24,000 homes, 242 bridges, 470 miles of roads, and untold acres of crops. In one day, 14 inches of rain hit Hong Cong, disrupting the city. South Africa is cleaning up after devastating flooding there. New York City saw 6 inches of rain in one day, halting subway service, snarling the city. As much as 8 inches of rain soaked the upper US Midwest. Hail as large as 1.5 inches hit eastern Oregon.
Wildfires and heat are increasing. Almost 600 wildfires are now burning in Canada, causing air quality in the US northeast to soar 10 times greater than the level declared hazardous to humans. In the western US, 120 fires are currently burning, and several are megafires, larger than 100,000 acres. Another fire near Los Angeles started just last week. Major fires are burning in Spain, Portugal, France and Turkey.
Europe is suffering through record breaking heat. Tehran and Kabul are running out of drinking water. The US southwest is getting hotter. Phoenix had 113 days of continuous highs above 100° last year, and this year may beat that record. Wild climate changes and extreme heat have distorted corn crops in the upper Midwest where as much as half the crop produced no corn, despite vibrant growth of the stalks.
While the whole planet has been slow to deal with the growing crisis, in part due to long term disinformation from the fossil fuel industry, the tide is turning. The wars now being fought over diminishing fossil fuel reserves simply add to the imperative to change. Most countries don't have any fossil fuel reserves, providing additional incentives to develop alternative energy sources. If the species is to survive, this is the energy system that will be required.
China is by far the world leader in renewables. Last year, 80 percent of the solar panels, 70 percent of the lithium-ion batteries, and 70 percent of the EVs sold in the global market were produced in China.
In contrast, even though all those technologies began in the US, America under our current administration is turning its back on the future, desperately trying to recreate a vanished mythical past, where we were the only superpower. This is the result of a delusional narcissist, supported by sycophants who believe they will be able to survive if they submit to the cult leader. In my opinion, this will fail. Being at war with a fact is the root of all suffering. The fact is: reality is inclusive, and our economy and society require a habitable environment.
