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| © harrington |
Just came back into the house after taking the dog for a walk. I'm almost (but not quite) ready to join the climate change deniers. Actual temp about 4 degrees; windchill in the -30 range; lows tonight forecast to be around minus 15. I think one of the reasons that the photo shows just tracks and no critters is they have more sense than we do. When the weather gets like this most creatures around here (except us humans) bed down out of the wind and stay there until the cold spell or storm breaks. Of course, I'm not referring to those who were already hibernating or torpid. I'm glad I've got a nice stack of books to be read and, as soon as my Novocain wears off, I'll be able to sip some hot coffee. Today involved a much overdue trip to the dentist. Better done on a day like today than on a warm spring or summer afternoon. Do any of you remember spring or summer? How about autumn? On this last day of January winter is starting to seem about as long as my time in the dentist's chair (or vice versa). Tomorrow begins February, the shortest, cruelest month and the month of the Hunger Moon. One month from now, we should at least be able to see spring from the southern realms of My Minnesota. Up on the Range, add four to six weeks. This could be as good a time as any to go put on Girl from the North Country (second stanza):
"If you go when the snowflakes storm
When the rivers freeze and summer ends
Please see if she's a coat so warm
To keep her from the howlin' winds."
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| © harrington |
The evening before the snow storm earlier this week, the moon over most of My Minnesota had a ring around it. I remember my mother and grandmother telling me that a ring around the moon means it's going to rain (or snow in the winter). I recently finished reading a book on the colors of nature that explains the physics behind "red sun in morning, sailors take warning--red sun at night, sailors' delight." I'm not sure at the moment if I'm pleased having acquired that additional knowledge. Sometimes, I think we may be better off just accepting that the world is the way it is. On the other hand, there's always Will Rogers recognition that "It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so." I think that the whole question of economic growth, and the necessity for it, is conventional wisdom that's out of date. Ron Meador, in a yesterday's Earth Journal, writes about Gus Speth and Gus's perspective that more growth isn't the answer to our current problems. As Ron states "It's hard to gain ground in the arena of public opinion by pitching
higher prices for energy, food and vehicles as positive values." I usually find myself more than agreeing with Ron. This time I'm not so sure. Higher prices for energy, food and vehicles are what the global economy usually strives for. It's called profit maximization. Another way to maximize profits is to externalize costs, such as environmental protection. Let the public's tax dollars pay for clean air. We've been following this philosophy at least since the industrial revolution and look where it's gotten us. There are growing studies that indicate that, after a certain level of economic security has been reached, more money or material goods doesn't make people more happy. Isn't the point of the economy supposed to be to serve people, not the other way around? Herman Daly and Jeffrey Sachs have some interesting thoughts on this topic. Sometimes, just because something's hard to achieve is all the more reason we should work toward it.
