Hot in Buffalo
This chart from Climate Central shows how much the average December temperature in Buffalo, NY, has risen in the past few years. These statistics are another sign that climate change is already affecting life on earth. (Climate Central graphic)

Sad to Say about Climate Change: We Told You So

by

UPDATED Dec. 15, 2021

A United Methodist Insight Column

In the wake of Dec. 10’s deadly tornado outbreak through several states, Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson nailed the climate crisis story of 2021 in his Dec.13 column: “We told you so.”

United Methodist climate activists can easily recite the same litany of extreme weather events that Robinson cites. Just a few examples:

  • In February, a freak cold snap in Texas blew out the power grid and left millions in below freezing weather, killing some 200 people.
  • In June, a heat wave scorched the Pacific Northwest and western Canada, where the town of Lytton, British Columbia hit an astounding 121 degrees one day before a wildfire burned it to ashes.
  • In July, torrential rains caused flooding in China’s Henan province killing 300 people. Similar floods in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium killed another 200 people, while California was engulfed in some of its biggest wildfires ever.
  • In late August, Hurricane Ida struck storm-ravaged Louisiana, still trying to recover from previous hurricanes, then it turned northeast, dumping so much rain on New York city that some Brooklyn residents drowned in their basement apartments.
  • In November, British Columbia was hit again by an “atmospheric river” that deluged the region with floods leading to landslides.
  • And in December, a line of storms from Arkansas through Illinois to Tennessee and Kentucky spawn devastating tornadoes, including one that is believed to have stayed on the ground for some 240 miles!

Now comes word that global warming has caused drastic, probably irreversible changes at Earth’s poles, with severe consequences for the entire planet.

These events are not the stuff of science fiction. They’re happening now, and United Methodists around the world are already being harmed by climate change, as the Dec. 10 tornadoes have shown. Faith-based climate activists need our support to convince public officials to enact policies that will curb the carbon emissions fueling catastrophic climate change as well as adopting our own lifestyle changes to reduce our individual, church and community carbon footprints. We urge you to check out these United Methodist movements for more information and actions you can take immediately:

Coronavirus Deaths Headed for 800,000

There’s new urgency on the coronavirus front as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has now been detected in 17 states.

UPDATED: Previously I said that the number of people killed by COVID-19 in the United States likely will top 800,000 before the end of 2021. Instead, the United States hit 800,000 deaths by Dec. 15, conferring the disgraceful record of being the top nation with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths. Even though the CDC report is encouraging regarding vaccinations, the continued high percentage of unvaccinated people means that we can’t get a handle on the pandemic. Unvaccinated people who contract COVID-19 are filling hospitals again, exposing their families, friends, neighbors, and strangers.

Please, please love you neighbor and get vaccinated. Please love your neighbor and wear a mask, keep physical distance and sanitize. And pray. Don’t stop praying.

Media Mentions as of Dec. 14, 2021

Pastor explains why Robert E. Lee image was replaced at Idaho church - Idaho Statesman – Idaho Statesman

1 in 10 Americans say the COVID-19 vaccine conflicts with their religious beliefs - NPR

Survey: Americans concerned too many are seeking religious exemptions to vaccines  – The Washington Post

What role should religion play in COVID-19 vaccination efforts? | World Economic Forum

Got Zoom fatigue? Out-of-sync brainwaves could be another reason videoconferencing is such a drag – The Conversation

Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.