We were pleased to greet three speakers on this occasion, the number presumably being appropriate for the gravity of the subject, which, loosely described, may have been defined as the future of the planet and all things that live on it. This, of course, is a rather large subject to cover in a 30-minute presentation. We were introduced to the general subject by Larry Tallman, a lecturer on the subject of some considerable expertise. Unfortunately, he operated under the assumption that we had reviewed the sites that were to be referred to in his lecture, but which nobody admitted to have actually studied (your correspondent later did so, and at YouTube.com/watch?v=b2VkC4CSnwY0 you can see why the public mind does not exactly catch fire at the mention of the subject of climate change, and why others get turned off by the very idea of attending university). Another presentation is at least lively (YouTube.com/watch??vA7ktYbVwr90) but which unfortunately concentrates on the very worthy Extinction Rebellion, a British creation designed to force upon the UK Government a Citizens Assembly on Climate & Justice: very interesting in that this ginger group recently blocked 5 London bridges (over the Thames) and in the process received a torrent of invective from passers-by who wished only to go to work (reminiscent of blockages simultaneously taking place in Canada). The name of Professor Schellnhuber of the Potsdam Institute also arose in the powerful statement that “… the climate is now reaching the end-game … the issue is the very survival of our civilization.” This sentiment illuminated the entire thesis of the afternoon’s presentation.
Kathryn Cholette was then introduced and proceeded to review the salient points of the crisis presently facing us. There is, firstly, the Albido Effect, which, in essence, arises because as the Arctic Ice melts, heat that was reflected is then absorbed by the water and so the Blue Ocean syndrome gives rise to warming seas in lieu of the very opposite effect. Moreover, as the oceans allow for larger wave patterns, even when the air temperature falls, ice is far more reluctant to form: the effect is almost self-perpetuating.
Further, there are Tipping Points that are not at all apparent to the casual observer. Methane is one of the more damaging but less observable gases, but it can cause all sorts of irremediable effects. The primary problem arising therefore is that the climate is changing far more quickly than is readily recognized, and the Blue Ocean effect thus arising is far more damaging than science originally thought … it is now calculated that once that Effect occurs in the Atlantic, we have about 10 years left (of what, was not made quite clear). The overall damage was personally brought home to us by Past President Dianna, who recorded that she has been acquainted with glaciers in south-eastern Alaska for some 40 years, and that their decline is readily observable to even the casual visitor. In toto, one has to conclude that our children, and particularly our grandchildren, are faced with the certainties that at this point are apparently inevitable. Enlightening, but not entertaining.