The news has given us examples of politicians making despicably distorted use of the snowstorms in the eastern U.S. to stupidly mock the onrushing reality of global heating. But it occurred to me that for younger and more inquiring minds, these snows presented a great opportunity for science teachers. Kids love to unlock apparent paradoxes, to see how things are not always what they seem. So I hope that legions of science teachers are demonstrating to perhaps temporarily attentive students just how a warming planet can produce more snow, how their cities can grind to a halt--even Washington DC!--in what is likely to be the warmest February on record.
These students should be receptive, for even a Republican Senator recognizes that the young are attuned to the message of the Climate Crisis. "I've been to enough college campuses to know," said Sen. Lindsay Graham, "if you are 30 or younger this climate issue is not a debate. It's a value."
Update: Maybe I should say clearly what I implied by this suggestion: the physics and chemistry involved in explaining these snows in a warming world is so basic that children can understand it.
No comments:
Post a Comment