The Winter That Wasn't

I'm not complaining about the warm weather we've had in the Northeast. I love the nice weather we've been having in New York. Winter for the most part never arrived in New York City and the metropolitan area and that's fine with me. Nothing stresses me out more than icy roads and slick walkways. It makes you wonder, is this the new normal? Is this unseasonably mild winter we've been having in the Northeastern part of the United States, proof of global warming and climate change? Is this the beginning of a trend of warmer winters and earlier Springs? We'll have to see what happens next year. Time will tell. According to Bill Korbel, News 12 Long Island meteorologist, "Temperatures will average more than 10 degrees above normal, for this week."

Early spring flowers are blooming already, some flowering trees have begun to bloom, God's magnificent creation is starting to come alive and it's a feast for the senses!

But there are some serious matters to ponder. Let's hope future generations find the solutions that we might need. An article in today's New York Times, ("Sea Level Rise Seen As Threat to 3.7 Million"), states that "About 3.7 million Americans live within a few feet of high tide and risk being hit by more frequent coastal flooding in coming decades because of the sea level rise caused by global warming.....By far the most vulnerable state is Florida, the new analysis found........but Louisiana, California, New York and New Jersey are also particularly vulnerable...."

We should be concerned for the sake of the next generation.

I recently went on vacation in Florida. It is a beautiful state. I was speaking to someone who lived there, she worked in the hotel. She said something interesting to me. "It's so beautiful here', she said, "but people say it's not going to last." In her circle of friends and family, that is what they say. Strange, I thought.

Let's hope and pray for the best. Let's hope the future geniuses of the world get us out of this mess, if it turns out that global warming is a fact, which seems to be the case.

NJA

Church Going Green

I read about a great idea coming from a church in Smithtown, Long Island. Perhaps other churches will follow this good example. It's a great way to save money, while helping the environment. According to a recent NY Newsday article, an Episcopal church, St. Thomas of Canterbury is going green. Workers will soon be installing 48 solar panels. Bob Reimertz, who serves on the church's vestry was quoted as saying, "The investment will mean saving $2,500 in annual electricity bills because we're using free power from the sun." The project will be completed in a month.

The article stated that, "The church received a $28,000 loan for the project through the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island from a national church building fund." They will also receive a rebate from the Long Island Power Authority. Apparently there are at least seven other churches or faith based institutions on Long Island that use solar power. Protecting the environment and utilizing renewable sources of energy should be a priority for churches. It's the right thing to do and it saves money as well.

Also, New York City and Long Island are particularly vulnerable to sea level changes that can be brought about by global warming. At geology.com a map shows the damage that could happen to coastal areas if climate change and global warming continue. A sea level rise of only a few meters would "inundate thousands of acres of highly developed land on Manhattan, Long Island and the New Jersey Coastline." I would add Brooklyn and Queens too.

All of the major world religions have places of worship (not to mention valuable real estate) in these areas. They should come together and brainstorm on how to do their part to prevent global warming and find ways to use renewable energy sources. Just my opinion....now it's time to rest.

NJA