While Rome Burns #3

112 degrees yesterday 6-27-21 in Portland breaking the record set the day before at 108 degrees.  The following day it would reach 114 degrees.  When I read of the unusual weather in other places I feel some empathy but I know I am not feeling the impact of the monsoon rains, the tornado, the stifling heat there.  When it hits home whether the scorching heat or the tree devastating ice storm last winter it has an immediacy.  I begin to think about the political entities and geographic divisions we humans have created.  They have served but now they seem so inadequate for the challenges of the climate, in fact counter productive.  There is not any quick fix or vaccine for an intervention to make things right.

Now here in Portland, the “heat dome”  A heat dome is caused by a strong ridge of high pressure that traps warm air underneath it.  This weather today makes the obvious case for “climate change”.  This is not a political term anymore, it is here and now and undeniable.   It brings to mind, in a funny way, the story and history told in “Forget the Alamo”.  

In the book “Forget the Alamo” reading the history of the Alamo, it is plain to see that the “heros” at the Alamo were fighting to maintain slavery if they were fighting for anything at all.  There are 

reasons to wonder why they chose to fight and to question their strategy.  While they were plotting and getting reports of Santa Anna’s march with his huge army to San Antonio, they were given the chance to surrender and they rejected it, a really bad call.  

The Texans wanted to be free from Mexico which is a recurring theme in this territory, people there wanting to be their own republic, and free throughout their history.  They have my permission to be free.  

The climate crisis, like the advancing Santa Anna army, has been tracked for some time.  Do we make our last stand for fossil fuels or do we surrender and make a new plan?


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