I Have Found the Solution for Climate Change!
Who Knew! You thought this was a difficult solution? If it’s hot outside, turn it down. If it’s cold outside, turn it up!
Did you hear the one about the scientist who wants to cover the Earth with sulfur compounds to block sunlight so the planet cools and “slows” global warming? I did—read it on Yahoo “news” myself.
Well, if that doesn’t scare you, nothing will. I was sure they’d been doing everything they could to reduce sulfur since the 1970s. Shows what I know. I guess it would be a good idea—except for the acid rain, the hit to lungs (asthma), and the plants that like actual sunshine. And don’t forget everyone with solar panels (already a mixed bag depending on where you live): less sun means less output, full stop. But hey—maybe we get 1–2° cooler in summer… and “frozen acid rain” in winter. Wow, what a plan.
(Reality check: these “solar geoengineering” ideas usually mean spraying sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere; risks include acid deposition, ozone impacts, and messed-up rainfall patterns—even if the average temp nudges down.)
Tried going to EPA.gov to brush up on the Clean Air Act. Apparently, they don’t like visitors today—I couldn’t get the page to load. I was unable to go onto the site. epa.gov.clean-air-act.
I said all that to build up to my solution. Here it is:
Don’t buy plastic, and avoid anything that needs diesel anywhere in the process. That’s it. You’re welcome. When the air clears, you can thank me.
Sarcasm aside, it really is that simple in spirit—even if no one’s sprinting out to stock seeds, candles, split cordwood, or buy a bicycle the minute convenience disappears. Our culture is hooked on “easy.” If climate change is real (oops—climate shift), we either helped make it or we’ll struggle to undo it until we kick the convenience habit. Imagine the waste we’d eliminate if food came in fur or leaves instead of plastic. I’d be out of a job.
My little corner of the world? About 45,000 people in my county—roughly 160 tons of trash daily. I see it year-round. (That’s not a national stat; it’s what runs through our operations, and it’s a lot.)
So next time you buy that “new” something, ask: Do I want to help the planet—or do I want something that makes life “easier”? The choice to ruin the place really is in your hands. Not figuratively—whatever you buy has consequences, especially if it shipped halfway around the world.
And no, I’m not a tree-hugging [insert your favorite team here] hippie. I do think the human body has limits on what it can take—look around at cancers, obesity, and chronic problems. Do electric cars fix that? (If you said “yes”, then I can’t change your mind with any readings in my blogs). I’m not convinced. Yes, they cut local tailpipe pollution; no, they don’t erase the mining, manufacturing, and power-grid side.“ I like jumping into my 20-plus-year-old truck—kept out of the scrapyard instead of buying a new one with its own hit to the planet—turning the key, and driving. It still gets about 14 mpg, which isn’t far from today’s trucks. Mostly necessity driving now—gas isn’t cheap.” If someone builds an electric car with actual style (not a soap bubble on wheels), I’d still pass. I’m waiting on the car that runs on rainwater. (Think that’s a joke? The tech exists to split water—just not cheaply at scale without, you guessed it, energy.)
In closing: a lot of the big ideas to “curb” global warming/climate change/whatever new label we’re using are… let’s say creative. Take this with a grain of salt: flip a light on, talk on your phone while driving that “new fuel-efficient” car to the grocery where the food is “always fresh.” Maybe stop for a new couch made in Ch*** to match the rug from Ind** and the curtains from Taiw**. We can see where that road goes when most people can’t make what they need anymore. The lost art of growing and fixing (the ability to make, grow or repair something yourself!) is why the thermostat joke at the top hits a little too close to home.
