Soon Night Will Fall

I found this chapter to be very informative and thought provoking. One such thought that crossed my mind is that, though all these things are happening, and though global warming is expanding to the extent in which its effects would be irreversible, what exactly will happen? What are the effects that will come of global warming? Will the planet just implode at the “tipping point?” Will it be a series of natural disasters that besiege the world in chaos and destruction? And if any of these events occur, will the human tendency, to adapt to our surroundings, prevail? Or will that be it? Will the last sound of a human cry be one of a guilty and hopeless remorse? Or will it be silent, as the world once was, without our presence?

Another thought that I found very important was expressed in a quote, on page 109, which read, “Once set loose into the atmosphere, greenhouse gases take much too long to eliminate.” I found this line to be very striking because I realized, yet again, how much harder things are to take back, once they are released into the world. Our actions, our words, everything, once conceived into the present life, cannot be withdrawn-cannot be undone. Our choices are signed with permanent markers, and there’s only follow up work to try to make things better. The only problem is, in this case, we’re not following up. We’re not even bothering to try to make things better. We’re just settling for the stains of regret because the consequences have yet to come. This concept was also prominent on pages 123-125, because we’re all climbing up these mountains of mistakes, which we, ourselves, are creating. And in the end, once we’ve reached the top, I guess the only thing we can do, is look down and realize how far away we’ve gotten from where we started.

Overall, this chapter was pretty normal. One thing I’m beginning to appreciate is how instead of just quoting scientists, and citing their opinions, Squarzoni gives these people an identity. He makes them people with voices, rather than statistical data and facts. So it’s less like I’m trying to understand a science, with concepts I can’t compete with, and more like I’m just having a conversation with a very well-informed person. I’m also beginning to notice Squarzoni’s ability to transport us to another place with his artwork. Sometimes when I’m reading, I feel like I can smell the newly cut grass, see the breathtaking view from a mountaintop, or be submerged underwater. Sometimes it feels like I’m walking through a forest, or sitting on a field with my dog. And it always feels amazing, and somehow empty when I finally close the book.

However, more and more, it feels like this book is becoming a never-ending climax, in which he captivates our moribund imagination and fear. With the way he’s presenting this information, I feel like this would be the part when the intense, fast paced, and dramatic music begins to play. But I’m beginning to think that this song just never ends. I keep waiting for a transition, for a slither of hope somewhere, but it just never comes. And I hate to admit it, but it almost seems rather repetitive. I’m hoping that the book takes a turn for the brighter sometime soon.