Climate Change

It's the conversations I remember most. For all my talk of the value of human interaction, this observation still half surprises me. I thought when I sat down to write of climate change images of our natural environment would spring to mind - the supremacy of the Amazon, the harshness of the Pantanal, Glacier Moreno glistening in the summer sun. But it's people I see, in living rooms around the world speaking in their varying accents of our common problem.

The first is Odin, as it should be. Odin with his curly brown hair and bright blue eyes, my last day at Huehuecoyotl. He pulled me into his kitchen, sat me down, and drew me a diagram. It went like this: Under the heading Global Climate Change, a column read Do We Take Action? Yes, No, and a row read Is it Happening? Yes, No. Where Yes and Yes met Odin wrote, Economic Depression as money is rerouted to build a “green” economy. He also wrote this where Yes - We Take Action, and No - It Isn't Happening met. Where No - We Don't Take Action, and Yes - It Is Happening came together Odin scribbled Economic Depression as a result of Ecological Redistribution, Political Disaster, and World Health Crisis... THE END. And finally, where No meets No he put, All's Good.

Dramatically straightforward, I'll admit but he's got a point. Seeing as how the All's Good option is pretty much out, no matter our choice we're headed for an economic hit. We may as well act now, he said. Then he dashed off to finish the electrolysis prototype he would unveil later that evening. It was amazingly simple - air, electricity, water, and some baking soda- and poof, hydrogen gas. These are the kinds of tools we need, Odin said his eyes shining, things to fit specific needs. Rainy season Mexico isn't short on water or the hydroelectricity it produces - why not then make our own gas as well? I can see him so clearly. Just think of the possibilities!

Then there's Sofia Montes of Guatemala. We sat at the dinner table, after a 10pm meal of fried plantains, pureed black beans, and scrambled eggs talking about her work. She's an Environmental Consultant for local businesses.When a business wants to open up, she evaluates their environmental impact and drafts a report of suggestions as to how these impacts might be reduced. She says her line of work is rare in a country who's Ministry of the Environment is charged with the task of enforcing Guatemala's single restriction on solid waste - there are no laws governing air emissions, which explains the cloud of black that chicken buses leave behind. Sofia spoke with disappointment of the US's lack of involvement in international climate legislation. We are a small country, she said, we will sign the legislation that's put to us, but we know that unless the US acts, we will pay the price.

She explained that Guatemala's population lives mainly on the Pacific coast or in the country's mountainous interior. The homes on the hills - like their own, which juts out of a forested rocky slope with the support of exterior pillars - will face serious damage from the increased rainfall stronger Caribbean storms bring, while those on the coast will suffer from the rising sea. Unlike Americans, Guatemalans are not accustomed to moving - nor do they have the means to. She did, however, appreciate Mr. Gore's film.

Of all the "living rooms" Rancho Mastatal's was prettiest, though the conversations were a bit deceptive in terms of obtaining a Costa Rican opinion on climate change, as the founders are Americans. So too were the ones held around the table at the Osa Sea Turtle Conservation Project. Of the seven plus of us, only one was actually from Costa Rica, and as he spoke no English and everybody else did, he didn't say much. Poor Lepo. The science, however, was pretty straightforward: Turtles need beach to lay their eggs on - as sea levels rise they will have fewer places to go; Temperature plays a large role in the life of a hatchling - it determines its gender, length of incubation, and time of emergence. A global change of temperature means trouble for sea turtles, not to mention its effect on ocean currents; And - not exactly related to climate change, but something interesting to know - nesting sea turtles face away from the brightest horizon when laying their eggs. This is supposed to be the sea, but on more developed beaches turtles can become so disoriented by the electric lights that they lay their nests facing the wrong direction. That's not good.

It was in Brazil that I met my first climate change skeptic. Luiz, though a trained engineer, now works in wood. Selling wood -beautiful wood, unlike any I've ever seen before. It comes from the Amazon. Brazilians possess a different view of the Amazon than the rest of the world. Simply put, it's theirs. The vast expanse of forest - the one that takes nine days to cross via boat - is their forest. Theirs to cut down, throw garbage in, pollute... Its not the Amazon - the jungle of a thousand childhood imaginings full of exotic birds and gigantic spiders. It's the woods in their backyard. Brazil has the right to do what it wants with it. He's right. But so are we. Uhhhh... why is this so hard?

Alex would agree with me. Alex was my favorite guide while on my Ecological Expedition in the Pantanal. When asked about climate change, Alex pointed to the sky. The end of November, and still no rain. We used to be able to predict their coming, not anymore. In the background,a news story reported the death of 46 people in the southern part of Brazil, due to flash flooding. Now, we hear of things like this, Alex said.

My last notable climate conversation happened rather unexpectedly. I was sitting of the shore of Lago Argentino watching flamingos when a Frenchman came tromping out of the underbrush. What happened next is a very amusing story, but sufficient to say with in ten minutes the flamingos had gone and we were left discussing the fate of the world. Interestingly enough he sees the economic depression the world now faces as America's chance to retool itself and begin building an automobile industry that isn't centered around consuming 25% of the world's oil. The comment reminded me of Odin's graph and I couldn't help smiling at him and saying, Well, we may as well act now. It's going to hurt economically no matter what.