As Fate Would Have It

“This is a twist of fate.”

“What do you mean MrsT?”

“Well the COP26 climate conference had barely finished when the rain began to fall in British Columbia over an area extending from Vancouver through Kamloops to Princeton and Merritt in southern B.C. Was this a coincidence?…

…’Now to get an idea of the extent of rain that fell in Kamloops for instance where historically November has been the month with the highest average rainfall of 64mm (2.5in) compared to the 200mm (7.8in) that fell over this area in two days with more to come they say.”

“Wow that puts it in perspective MrsT but to me it seems like the heavens wept at the lack of gumption at COP26 to pledge for lasting change to cope with reducing carbon emissions. I think God winked.”

“Now now MrT there is a reason or reasons why this happened. It’s because of science and not some whim about weeping heaven’s and winking Gods. For heaven’s sake can you not see that!”

“Firstly one problem has been the extremely hot fires from three months earlier that formed a water-repellent-crust on the soil, due to the dispersion of waxy compounds from rotting vegetation on the forest floor, “ continued MrsT, “and low and behold this is where the flooding and landslides occurred.”

“Furthermore over-logging or deforestation removed tree roots that held the soil together and grasses no longer bind the soil which caused the mudslides that trapped people in their cars on highways. Caught between two slides there was no way out. Some report being swept away between tumbling rocks and trees down, far down the slopes. A few never made it home, submerged in the mud.

“MrsT did you know that a long long ago, a lake outside the Abbotsford, B.C., area was drained to create lucrative farmland. Friend of a friend said, “The radical disruption of Indigenous controlled burning practices occurred when colonists took over forcing a relocation of these land-dependant people.”

“Many say that these decisions contributed to the devastating flooding of the area.”

The T’s watched the televised news…”British Columbia has begun the mammoth task of assessing damage to its transportation networks, infrastructure and thousands of properties along the southern part of the province have been destroyed in the wake of devastating floods. The province also expects the death toll to rise with more rain forecast in the next coming days. Gasoline is restricted to thirty litres per vehicle…

…Thousands of people remain out of their homes. On couple were helpless as they watched their house collapse and be swept away in the raging water. Cows and horses and livestock were also imperilled as waters washed away sheds and left farms under metres of water. The state of emergency remains in place and a military contingent is helping with this unprecedented disaster.”

The T’s sat in silence for a long time astonished by the by the events from the last week. Eventually MrT said, “This is God’s intervention, a nudge to do more to reduce emmssions and a wink to signal the how serious our problem is.”

“You know MrT this sort of thing could happen anywhere, anytime.”

#climate #nature