The Conversation - A Climate Change Story
Part 1
I’m the Earth. She is Mother Nature. He is the Master of the Universe.
—
My Earthly mass trembles in sorrow as I see the effects wrought by global warming,
“I’m not mentally prepared for this.”
“Hey, you survived five mass extinctions! And you keep saying that. Hang in there, we still have another four billion years left,” Mother Nature says.
I can’t make out her words because I’m concentrating on the flames being fanned by high winds in drought-ridden Chile. “What was that?”
“I said. . .“
Suddenly, a powerful and mystical voice comes out of nowhere. “Every time I’ve listened to you two over the last twenty years, I become more perplexed. Don’t forget, in all my space and time, you both are incredibly unique.”
“If we could only see you.”
“That will never happen.”
“How is it that she and I can see the Milky Way, Moon, and Sun, and not the Master of the Universe?”
“Since I hold all the galaxies together, I will always remain invisible”
“...Uhhm, can we move on guys?” says Mother Nature.
“Sure we can. Obviously, we are the exception of all the planets, and with what’s going on, we have good reason to be jumpy.”
“I’m more concerned now than I was tens of millions of years ago,” replies the Master. “My precious gemstone (Earth) seems to be browning, and it’s not pretty. It won’t be long before you look like my dust and gas consumed-planets?”
“I believe you must speed up global warming in North America and Europe. Of course, it’s not fair, but how else do you give the Northern Hemisphere a taste of what the countries south of the equator are going through? 90% of your human beings have no clue because they’re not consistently confronted with water scarcity like the South is,” says Mother Nature.
“Not yet,” replies the voice of the Master. It knows that right now four billion of Earth’s humans experience at least 30 days a year of freshwater shortage.
“Postponing accomplishes nothing,” Mother Nature insists. “Once you let that greenhouse gas continue to accumulate for the next 20 to 50 years, your remarkable green, blue. and white appearance will begin to tarnish! Worse, the sun’s light will have a tough time getting through.”
Your Earthly health is compromised for several reasons. Not the least of which is the diminishing freshwater supply brought by global warming. Moist soil was once your staple landmark, but in certain regions, aridity is taking over. Water is evaporating at a faster pace from all your surfaces. 71% of you is covered with water, yet only 3% is drinkable, and almost 70% of that is locked in glaciers and massive ice caps.
Both are melting into the surrounding saltwater at an accelerating rate.
“Before modern humans first appeared on my land surface formations about 300,000 years ago, we were in great shape - all the way back 65 million years when that asteroid smacked our Yucatan Peninsula,” I said.
The Master of the Universe interjects, “My friend, Earth, you were in perfect circular shape for nearly every one of those 3,000 centuries. Steller, until what they refer to as the Industrial Revolution came about. I’ll shut up now so you and Mother Nature can figure this out.” The Master disappears into the vast distance. A brief recollection makes you both gasp. Then she says, not letting up, “Worldwide water scarcity by the 2030s should certainly get human attention. Leadership and the billionaires have to personally experience it sooner rather than later, or nothing will improve.”
“True, but a devastating effect on your laws, elements, and phenomena of nature will surely happen if I can’t get those two-legged species to wake up,” I said.
“Understood. My life-giving abilities will be in even worse shape,” says Mother Nature.
“Very sad. The endangered wildlife and plant species won’t survive.”
“No, they won’t! But do we wait until the human race is also classified as an endangered species?”
“They already are a long-term extinction risk. The vast majority of all species might exist for another hundred years before global warming renders most of my land mass inhabitable. And then what?” I said.
“Isn’t that what some of those scientists label the sixth mass extinction?” she says.
“Unfortunately…”
I was feeling depressed. There is no good answer for the damage fossil fuels have inflicted on my Earthly being, except to replace them with renewable energy options. Trouble is, clean energy is far from being developed enough to take the place of polluting energy, even a decade or two from now. If oil, gas, and coal closed down overnight, the global economy would tank into a catastrophic reversal. I thought back to the last of my ice ages. Ten thousand years ago was a simple co-existence, given that agriculture, hunting, and fishing were all that mattered to the four to five million souls scattered throughout the livable regions. I whispered to yourself, How can I continue to mismanage over eight billion souls and not avoid losing most of them?
“I heard you,” she sighs. “You cannot manage them. Period.”
“Fine. For 75 years, my temperature has been creeping up, and I feel it every day over various parts of my body, particularly in each of the five oceans.”
“I can tell just by looking at you. One of us must find a way to communicate with the mortals before that fever of yours gets out of control.”
“We see, hear, and smell everything that’s happening - but have no words for them,” I said.
She laughs, “Talk about waking them up!”
“Correct me if I’m wrong. I seem to recall that our first four mass extinctions took hundreds of thousands to millions of years to peak. Then, about the same amount of time for you and me to recover,” you say.
“I know where you are going with this.”
“Yes, you do. I have enjoyed your vibrant, diverse ecosystems with modern animals, flowering plants, and lush trees for almost 70 million years now. Then ‘BANG’ It took about seven decades for these people, these Earthlings, whatever we want to call them, to put all we have accomplished in harm’s way!”
“Too many distractions surround them,” she says. “And now comes along this new technology called artificial intelligence that can simulate their minds. I wonder how long before AI replaces them, and I don’t mean occupationally….”
“Yeah. They’re scrambling in every direction, all over me, just to survive, and many think AI will make it all better. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. There’s just too damn many of them for the liveable area I have to offer.”
We are well aware that only 29% of my mass is allocated to land, and not all of the soil is livable. They know that about 33% of the land is desert, and maybe 24% is mountainous, where civilization cannot exist. With Earth’s temperature rising, the question becomes: how much area will be left to support humanity? Earthlings will flee the widening flooded coastal areas, drought-ridden arid regions, and fire-charred forests to collect at the remaining suitable areas. In other words, migrating from the worst effects of global warming will be the charge. Never before has it been so true that the way humans react now to climate change will define the future condition of every square mile of surface area. Never has it been so critical to address climate politics in favor of incorporating renewable energy options. The endgame will be the ultimate phase out of most oil, gas, and coal while capturing and burying the carbon/methane tonnage clogging your atmosphere. Clean energy and AI will then power up humanity for a long time.
“With all the climate chaos, we must remind ourselves that the vast majority of people are good and decent. There is so much to share with each other,” I said.
“Not so fast,” Mother Nature says. “After watching the last couple thousand years of war, disease, famine, and global debt, I can’t figure them out. Sometimes I wish they all would morph into butterflies, hummingbirds, or frogs!”
“You’re too funny,” I said sarcastically.
“Some good news, though,” she says. “For some unknown reason, the U.S. president who attacks green energy every day is starting to favor geothermal energy. Your very core might play an important role one day!”
“It is thrilling and there’s certainly an unlimited supply.” I asked myself, should I tell her about my plan now? It’s a must because my weight is already shifting from the melting of ice caps causing me to spin slower. “I do have a plan to get these human beings instantly on the right climate track.”.
“Wanna tell me about it?” she says.
“Yes. Once I have your approval we’ll present my concept to the Council of Planets, of which I am a member of course. The other members are called ‘The Seven.’”
Part 2
I’m the Earth. She is Mother Nature.
—
“Due to your critical circumstances, the heavenly Council of Planets has finally agreed to hold a special meeting on December 21, after you have orbited the sun. That day is known as the December Solstice, meaning when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun, thus signaling the end of another astronomical year’s journey of climate concern,” says Mother Nature.
“Rather appropriate. Been the hottest year since humanity began,” I said.
“Measured in terms of decades, you are getting wounded faster than I can remember! We both are in climate crunch time.”
“Yes, the new norm. Most of my species have no idea that their future hangs in the balance,” I said. “I’m losing your beauty, fresh water, and memorable landscapes too damn fast. Only when those governments, leading businesses, and science get on the same page will my health problems diminish.”
She asks, “So how do we prepare for the Seven? How can their lifeless existence have any bearing on what we are going through?”
“It’s all about my movement. All eight of us orbit the Sun in the same counterclockwise direction at nearly the same plane. But not all of us spin in the same direction. Complicated, I don’t. . .”
“Right. That’s all I need to know for now,” says Mother Nature.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Because you interrupted me again. I must find out from all seven of them if their gyrations ever change, and if so, what are the consequences? That will help me get the right spin on my spin.”
“Wait! You’re serious. Really? You OK?” she said.
I nodded while asking myself, when will a natural climate renaissance take place within the human spirit? Or will the fundamental social changes forced on them by climate change remain steadfast? An unwelcome turning point for all species which requires a united coalition to address it.
She says in a loud tone, “You’re considering hesitating or speeding up your spin to show humanity you are outraged! Won’t every two-legged and four-legged living thing topple over? That jolt will cause each dam to break, every tall building to fall, and every power grid to collapse!” She shrieks, “And every natural wonder I stand for will be obliterated!” I’m actually used to this display of angst and allow time for her to regain composure. She must be on my side, or I would be in dread forever.
She comes around and says, “People are making their own climate bed, so why don’t we just let them sleep in it for another 50 years?. We need time to think this through.”
“Then it will be too late. One of my main indicators is the Antarctic Peninsula, which had about one square mile of green on it in 1976. In 2021, it greened up to 14 square miles. And I can’t take my attention away from Mexico, which consists of 32 states. 30. . .” I said.
“30 what?” she says.
Shaking my head, I’m always patient with her. “30 of those states have a distinct water shortage.” You stop to let it sink in. “Melting ice and a shrinking drinking water supply must be slowed way, way down, or people will never again behold the wonders of your environment like they did in the past.”
In an unusually soft voice, she says, “I get it. You want to learn all you can from your fellow planets to measure the risk involved. And if the risks outweigh the benefits, we’ll have to come up with an alternate method for waking up all those souls to the cause behind your increasing fever. Right, Earth?”
“Right. I believe all of humanity knows I’m warming up. Their debate is: natural cycle causes vs. human causes. Most of those who promote the general changing weather theory don’t want to lose the financial and employment benefits brought on by fossil fuels. They fear being replaced by renewable energy. Those who support the human causes theory trust the scientists who have proven all the ills of greenhouse gas. Trouble is, both sides are obstructed by the many distractions of war, poverty, inflation, safety, health - you name it.”
“Too many mortals,” she said.
“That’s the fundamental problem.”
“Promise me you’ll do the right thing for both sides?”
“I promise. Now let’s prepare for the Council of Planets. Remember: they are busy orbiting the Sun while being bombarded with hundreds of moons, millions of asteroids, comets, meteoroids, and dwarf planets of our solar system. Four are terrestrial, or land-based, and the other four are gaseous planets. They don’t always ‘see eye to eye’, to quote humanity.”
She asks, “Which is which? I forgot already.”
“The smallest, Mercury. Venus, warming like me because she’s loaded with greenhouse gas. And Mars and I. Each has a rocky texture. Then we have the massive gas and dust planets: Jupiter, eleven times my size. Saturn with all the rings. And the ice giants, Uranus and Neptune.”
“With all that’s going around them, why would The Seven care about you?”
I pondered thinking how best to answer that so she’ll never forget. Wishing the humans were listening, I said, “I’m the one planet with the terrestrial and aquatic combination. Certainly in the solar system, in the Milky Way galaxy, and perhaps in the entire universe, only me, myself, and I contain life. Imagine that. I have a celestial beauty that I hope those planets adore. Pray we bring them joy. Pray they don’t want my supreme elegance to be clouded by carbon. There’s no planet B. You and I are it!”
No response for quite some time.
At last, in an authoritative voice, she says, “I did my homework. The rate of global warming nearly doubled over the past decade and is currently intensifying in ways that have surprised the climatologists. The general population pays no attention to one critical fact: the threshold for your entire average temperature exceeding preindustrial levels is 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Guess what? On certain days, your average temperature has already surpassed that threshold,” she hesitates.
“Or the fact that your oceans absorb 90+% of excess heat in the atmosphere, and those very waters of yours are warming at an accelerated rate. Yes, that causes the entire atmosphere to warm up. All because the great majority of your overpopulated land surface relies on coal, oil, and gas energy. The last three years have been the costliest ever in terms of climate disasters. Whoever thought Colorado would be facing a snow drought this year? Poor America! Right now, its leadership is ass-backward with respect to your rising fever. Now is the time to scare them into saving you.”
I was giving her a standing ovation in my mind.
Part 3
I’m the Earth. She is Mother Nature. They are the Council of Planets
—
Mother Nature and I have been sharing sorrow for my misfortune way too long. My plan for getting some advice before what might be the wrong decision is smart. The time has come.
“Do you think the others on the Council of Planets have any idea what you’re going through?” says Mother Nature
“Not likely. Those Seven keep an eye on me. They know I’m not the same round mass I once was, even a few thousand years ago. When parts of me became a bright blue and a shiny green, I hope they started to pay more attention.”
“Yeah, when you blossomed out of that snowball look about 650 million years ago, they couldn’t help but be jealous. You just might be the envy of the universe. Are you prepared to present your case?”
“No. It will take the two of us.”
The Seven seem intrigued, yet tensions seem high.
Uranus is first to speak up. “You gotta do something! The question is: where to start. Too many people and too fast, and you’re not built for that. Don’t get me wrong. My friend, Earth, you’re going to be around for billions of years like the rest of us. Yet, you are different in a good way. We don’t want your look to change.”
“Hey, why do they call you Uranus?” says Mother Nature.
“I’m just pissed about that,” he says. He’s the only one not laughing. “Seriously, all of humanity won’t be around for a fraction of your time left, and it shouldn’t be their fault. No planet adjourns until we figure this out!” exclaims Uranus.
Uranus doesn’t let up. “You two are the life support system for all your creatures, and as the decades fly by, your capabilities become more and more degraded. Not your fault. And there you have it, the final human race against time! Every species, finally joined at the hip by a massive carbon heat dome growing denser by the year. Will their unconscious warming bond ever unite them once and for all? I don’t want to lose that view from up here. There’s nothing else like it…”
“That’s why we’re here before you. We…”
“Excuse me,” Saturn interrupts. “Either unite them, or pull them further apart. All those languages, religions, cultures, debts, and politics. How can they agree on anything, much less future livability? Self-climate governance is vitally important down there, and collectively, they have no clue. With such a fundamental premise staring them down, how can they not act as one?”
“You just answered your question, Sir,” Mother Nature interjected. “As one, they have no clue. We want to run our plan by you. An idea to wake them up once and for all. Please allow Earth time to share his thoughts with The Council. Please.”
“Not before I say something,” Jupiter chimes in. “I’ve been keeping a close eye on conditions causing your fever to rise, Earth, and I don’t like what’s suffocating you. Big oil and gas must choose between planetary preservation vs. planetary meltdown! Between a brilliant blue horizon vs. browntown. What was initially an unintended climate betrayal turned out to fill every Earthling’s body cavity with micro-amounts of lead, dust, carbon, and plastics that still go unnoticed.”
“But not for long.” I said.
“Not enough,” injects Venus. “The wages of greenhouse gas bring on a most uncomfortable truth called global water bankruptcy. The mortals continue to borrow from those precious aquifers, forcing them to dry up for good. Couple that with negative nature activities caused by destructive investments, and I have to ask, ‘Where are the environmental-based solutions? Investments to protect you, Mother Nature?”
“Hey, man,” says Neptune. “Absolutely nothing worth looking at around here, but you. We’re nothing but rocks and gas. Monotonous.”
“Just because I’m the smallest doesn’t mean I have to shut up,” Mercury chimes in. “But I’ll wait. Time for you to speak, my favorite. You have that wrap-around surface, bent on the destruction of everything Mother Nature stands for. Something’s not right.”
“Thank you all for noticing my problem. Glad to be your fave, Merc.” I said. I then proceed to describe what she and I feel is the best way to make my fever level, then drop back down. “Will you jeopardize for a second the fact that humanity’s future relationships with each of the 195 governments must be defined by triumph in the face of climate change denialism? And, at the same time, it’s not fair for the younger and future generations to expect less in their lives.”
Jupiter says, “Listen up! Since I’m the fastest spinner among us, I’ll speak for everyone. You are right. If you mess with your motion, the mortals will never forget because centrifugal force would throw everything off. You could even lose protection from solar radiation. Worse. You could crack.”
“If he cracks, I crack. But if we let them continue to get hotter, cracking won’t matter.” says Mother Nature
“True,” remarks Saturn. “Before you requested this meeting, The Council got together, knowing what was coming. Imagine…”
“You’re the bright spot, dear Earth” interrupts Venus. “You always will be.”
“It’s now or never. Save Earth forever,” slowly chants the Council of Planets in a supportive hymn.
Suddenly, a powerful familiar voice…
“The Earthlings must focus on what’s doable rather than what can go wrong. Doers not doomers. You, Earth, must accelerate global warming to unite those creatures.” The Master of the Universe pauses to check the rotations and spins. All checks out. “I’m captured by those eight billion souls and their billions of products that move from one place to another, day in and day out. The mortals are brilliant in so many ways. Here’s the problem. The weather violence doesn’t affect the vast majority of the mortals because they don’t live in the rural, disaster-prone regions. Friend, Earth, you will help them by scaring them the correct way. More flooding. Intensifying heat. Less fresh water. Etc. All at once, at an alarming rate, and directed where leadership must experience extreme weather conditions. The cities. Then, just perhaps, climate change will gain a religious-like significance.”
“Yes, there will be casualties and property loss. But like everything else that had their attention for a few thousand years, things have to get really bad before they acknowledge a serious problem. Or else, this matter will drag on and on until the same end-result appears - too late to rectify. Do I make myself clear?”
Silence and intimidation.
Mother Nature exclaims “What I have is a never-ending external conflict between my natural environment and the misery that accompanies the uncontrollable expansion of civilization. I’d rather suffer worse now and get it over with!”
I then said, “Thank you, Master, Sir! Mother Nature is spot on. I apologize to you all for my more abrupt approach. Instead, I’ll raise my fever knowing it will come back down to that time before fossil fuel was discovered. Then the atmospheric carbon capture can commence. Quiet, clean, less expensive energy here we come! Some landscapes won’t be the same, but all lives matter.”
“Is Mars listening in?” says Mother Nature,
“Yes’um. Even though I’m about half your size, I’m older and can still hear. By the way, I like your oceans because they always wave. And your rainbow fascinates me, a bow that nothing in our universe can reproduce. We’re all for telling the Earthings, ‘Your planet. Your responsibility.’”