Now, I’m from Russia, so my answer to the above question is very simple – if it’s above freezing, I’m down for swimsuits and sundaes. But, I’m actually here to talk a bit about a question neither I, nor many people around the world, seem to have a confident answer for: “What “weather” exemplifies and confirms global warming?
Picture this- it’s mid summer, and you’re standing on the subway platform, waiting for a train that claimed to be “approaching the station” eight minutes ago. The underground subway station is, unsurprisingly, not air conditioned, and you can all but feel the sweat stains forming under the straps of your bag. The body heat of dozens of other grouchy commuters only adds to the problem. If you wanted a steam-room treatment, you would have visited the overpriced “holistic healing spa” down the block from your apartment. On days like today, it’s easy to glare at the people holding plastic Poland Spring bottles and carrying masses of plastic bags. You swear that, with each breath, you can feel yourself inhaling greenhouse gases (along with the pheromones and frustration of the co-riders that surround you.) You swear that, the moment you exit the station at your destination, you’ll start doing your part to save the planet. Recycle that cereal box. Volunteer to clean up garbage. Bring your own bag to the store. Of course global warming is real – there’s no way your feet are always this sweaty. Those scientists were right all along.
Now let’s fast forward a few months. It’s a Monday in February, and you’re on your way to work. You’re waiting on an above-ground subway platform, and it’s pretty freaking cold out. You slept through your alarm and had to rush to leave the house so, today of all days, you forgot your gloves. You want to pull out your phone to see how many angry text messages your boss has sent you, but you refuse to remove your hands from the pockets of your coat, which are offering at least a small bit of comfort. Not happening. Way too cold. It’s days like today that cause the planet-saving motivation we stocked up on in the summer to vanish. Before heading into the office, you’ll pick up a paper cup of coffee, which you already know will be served with a three-inch stack of napkins. More of us will say “Oh hell no.” to our beloved clunky, yet eco-conscious public transportation and take gas-guzzling Ubers to get home. Our president might drop in on Twitter with some ever-inspired words along the lines of: “Wouldn’t be bad to have a little of that good old fashioned Global Warming right now!”
And the weather wars will continue. As the line dividing climate change activists and deniers gets harder and the question of global warming becomes an increasingly loaded one, both sides of this ecology debate are increasingly using bouts of extreme weather as a weapon to try to win people to their side. And this isn’t surprising; weather is one of the easiest things for people to bond over or complain about, and is a staple of small talk and shared experience in many societies – all factors that can make weather a simple but powerful opportunity to discuss global warming. Our urge to interpret weather as a potent message about the true nature of climate change may have to do with our psychology – Climate science itself is often complex and abstract. It can be tough to feel, on a gut level, the implications of a chart showing global temperatures ticking up over time, or a graph predicting future rising sea-levels. We don’t experience slow changes in average temperature – at least not strongly enough to rely on them for a steady source of motivation to invest our time, money, and energy into sustainable living practices and ecological research. Current weather events are effective for spurring conversation about climate change, but it is important to note that scientists – who have long tried to distinguish between short-term weather fluctuations and long-term climate shifts – are urging us to go beyond ranting about the daily forecast, and to continue the global warming conversation draw out and discuss the links between the inclement weather and life-threatening climate change.
