I know I have only been on this Earth for 33 years, and childhood may of skewed my perspective, but here is what noticed about the local weather and how it has changed since I was a child:

• It used to be COLD on Halloween, like snowing cold, wish I had a polar bear costume cold.   2 years ago year we were low on candy and I walked to the local drug store in SHORTS.  It was 75+ degrees.  Last year it was in the 60’s. 
• We used to get rain here.  All day rain, or at least for a few hours.  Now it just comes in downpours for about 10 minutes and just stops.
• It used to be snowy/cold around Christmas.  Now, we rarely get snow before January, if at all.
• November used to be a cold and bitter month, now it rarely gets below the 50’s.
• We used to have April showers and May flowers.  In April it rained about 3 days this year.  Similar last year.  It downpours in May now.
• Trees bud earlier and loose their leaves about a month earlier and later now.

Let me know if you have noticed any changes in your lifetime.  It is a local event, or it is worldwide?

So here is my update:

A broken world

Now, in the second week of a record breaking heat wave, after 3 class 4 or higher hurricanes making landfall in the United States, I have to conclude that we have broken our world.

In the past month, Harvey hit Houston, Irma hit Cuba and Florida, and Maria struck Puerto Rico directly.  I am typing this in late September, in Chicago.  It is over 90 degrees.  

I really do fear for our children, who will inherit this planet when we are gone.  I already trust the climate scientists and I trust my own senses.  Rapid fire hurricanes, I hope, will be a wake-up call to the world of the dangers of global warming.  I remember when I was a kid, it was cold or even snowing on halloween.  For the past few years, it has been 70 degrees or more!  Last year, Chicago didn’t have a winter.  Really.  Less than 4 inches of snow, and over 60 degrees in JANUARY!  I know that weather is variable, but when I notice a shift, that has been happening for years, it is really hard to deny.  I know now that we are past the point of no return for at least some climate change.  With the orange fool in the Whitehouse, the United States has abdicated its leadership role in limiting climate change.  

I wish I had more hope, but with no one willing to make any real sacrifices, all I can say is I am sorry to the generations that follow us.  We knew what we were doing is wrong, but we continued to do it anyway, since we can not see anything beyond the next 24 news cycle.