Priorities

August 30, 2015 - 0550 hours - 39.345754, -75.875435 (Galena, MD) - 

I didn't awaken this morning intending to blog about priorities. But a local news report on NASA's studies (see here) of rising sea levels got things "percolating".

I have seen several articles this week concerning empirical (and irrefutable) scientific evidence of rising sea levels.  Reading and watching these reports caused me to wonder "Do we humans have our priorities in order?"

There have been many headlines to grab our attention in recent weeks. From the ongoing refugee crisis in the Middle East and Europe to the roller coaster equities markets to the never-ending wildfires in the western states. Certainly, the list of worthwhile causes competing for our attention is formidable.

How about "survival"? More specifically, human survival? Might that topic ascend to the top of your priority list?

OK, let's not be so melodramatic...

This week is the tenth anniversary of hurricane Katrina's making landfall in the Crescent City. Katrina's immediate and lasting effects underscore the importance of heeding warnings in order to protect life and property.  Many people did not did not consider the warnings credible or waited until it was too late.  Policy makers, politicians, and the general public were all ignored the empirical (and irrefutable) scientific evidence that a major hurricane, with powerfully destructive forces, was bearing down on a major populated urban center.  Who in their right mind wouldn't take action to prevent loss of life and/or property?

Scientists have been studying global warming for decades. This week, major news organizations detailed a report by NASA which details the specifics of rising sea levels. The gist of the report provides evidence that sea levels are rising and faster than previously thought.  Ponder that thought for a moment.  The cause for this accelerating sea level rise is global warming which is due to the enhanced greenhouse effect caused by - human activities. We are contributing to our own demise.

And yet in an eerily similar reaction, many policy makers and politicians continue to ignore (and often ridicule) the empirical (and irrefutable) scientific evidence. Until policies are changed many lives and properties will be lost.

Let me wrap this blog entry up. Global warming and the resultant effects are already affecting this planet. The effects are only going to become more severe. We have a simple choice to make. We can pretend that the realities of global warming are fiction - and suffer more pain. Or we can make good, sound decisions to change policies that exacerbate global warming.

It's all a matter of priorities...