Climate Change Has Come Home to Roost This Fall We Cannot Say “Not in My Backward” About Climate Change,It’s Already Here>>> From the Editorial of the Morgantown DominionPost, October 6, 2019 <<<Perpetual heatwaves and severe drought are a big issue. Unlike some issues, fear of climatechange is as real as the threat it poses.Theenormity of climate change demands a sense of urgency to address but is yetdifficult to comprehend and respond to effectively. For many in north-centralWest Virginia it’s obvious our climate is increasingly hotter and drier. Septemberwas one of the warmest and driest on record. Less than an inch of rain wasrecorded in the month.Thoughheat waves were never uncommon in West Virginia, in recent years episodes ofsuch intense hot spells are almost the new norm. Despite our current respitefrom the heat, drought conditions are worsening statewide that make the loss ofcrops and water shortages likely.The U.S.Drought Monitor map classified large parts of southern West Virginia in asevere drought while the entire northern swath of the state was labeledabnormally dry. Recent unusual mild winters with little snowfall and averagetemperatures far above average, though welcomed by many, have left that seasonout of balance, too.We haveyet to see 90 degree days in January, but it’s increasingly possible as ourstate’s climate no longer aligns with any calendar or past weather trends.Other signs of climate change that some of us have observed for several yearsare also making headlines now.Accordingto one major study, the total bird population in the United States and Canadahas declined by 29% since 1970 — t h at ’s 3 billion birds. That loss is notlimited to several threatened species, either. Indeed, it is spread across awide array of birds, from migratory to backyard.The studywas primarily a census and did not attempt to determine the causes of thesedeclines. Some are obvious, such as buildings and wind turbine collisions anddisease outbreaks. But since bird population health truly is the canary in thecoal mine regarding environmental health, this fact alone is reason for graveconcern.We may bewasting our breath asking state and federal governments to commission furtherdetailed studies to more aptly address the issues this decline of birdsportends.But in the spirit of theSeptember 20th Global Climate Strike, we demand ourleaders do more to combat these changes that are no longer just in the public’sconsciousness, but are in its backyard. Talk of the planet’s warmingoften causes many to freeze up. What can one person do to stop something thataffects us on a global scale. Consequently, this issue must be elevated to atop priority much like our national security and public safety. Defense of our planet is just asimportant as defense of our country or our home. As some have said, otherwise,what is there to defend? It’s notunusual when forecasts turn out to be wrong. But there’s something wrong withthe weather and the birds. Something that should be a major concern beyond justthe Weather Channel and the Audubon Society.#########################See this report: North America Has Lost More Than 1 in4 Birds in Last 50 Years, New Study Says | Audubon Society,September 19, 2019See also: Plummeting insect numbers ‘threatencollapse of nature’| Environment | The Guardian, February 10, 2019 Submitted to the MonongaliaCounty Commission by Duane Nichols, Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition, 330 DreamCatcher Circle, Morgantown, WV 26508 on October 16, 2019.