California in peril from warming

I cannot sleep tonight. I took a pill at 2 a.m. - first one in months - and I'm still awake. Why? because I read this article:

California farms, vineyards in peril from warming, U.S. energy secretary warns - Los Angeles Times.

The man warning us is a Nobel Prize winner in Physics, former director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where I used to teach software. He doesn't deal in hysteria. This is serious.

I finally had a talk with my husband about my fears, and the things I wish we would do to prepare, to cope, to prevent.

Like what? he said.

Like:

• Install compost toilet
• Set up grey water system for recycling bath water into garden
• Rig large cisterns to capture rainwater from our roof

My husband said he would read the article - in the morning - and keep an open mind about these possibilities. We don't think we can move to Wisconsin or Ohio at the moment. If I were free of family ties I would buy a nice house on some land in a decent-sized town with a college, a library, a hospital and a few alternative health practitioners. The area should have good soil and plenty of rainfall. Railroad and canal would help.

If I were in my 20s I would look at recolonizing Detroit. So much empty, cheap space there, and still so much culture (universities, museums). You could buy a big house surrounded by prairie in the middle of town, if you were feeling like a pioneer. You'd have to homeschool your children, keep livestock and protection animals (dogs? Geese?), grow your own food and network assiduously with the few neighbors remaining. It could be done. Plenty of good Arabic food in Detroit...

Comments

[Alison Chaiken]

There is no need to panic. Steve Chu has no more idea what is going to happen than anyone else does. Today it's raining and our reservoirs are filling. Use resources wisely, live a good life and hope everything works out!

[Leila Abu-Saba MacLeod]

Panic is never a wise action, even in the midst of disaster. However, I would be willing to install a greywater system to help fend off terrible drought. And a compost toilet. What if we could restore our reservoirs by changing how we dispose of water waste?

From what I'm reading, the rain we're getting will not be enough to replenish the snow pack. But I agree, no need to panic.

[Leila Abu-Saba]

BTW my husband is a good stabilizing influence. He did the right thing by listening to me seriously and suggesting we get more information. I went to bed eventually and slept well.

When I woke up, I decided that moving to Michigan makes no sense at all right now. You cannot put a price upon the human network we have here, my husband from living here all his life, me from a mere fifteen years. For my health I need to stay connected to people who know me. Picking up stakes right now would be far too stressful for all of us.

If we run out of water, we'll have time to adapt and move on. Meanwhile, it's raining cats and dogs here, as Alison noted.

[Donna]

In the last year, I've stopped paying attention to the doomsday warnings. Not that I don't believe them - but like you, I end up losing too much sleep.

Then again, yesterday I found myself saying things "I'm glad it's raining because we need it" instead of my usual habit of complaining about it.

[Cee]

Leila,

You don't want to be living anywhere in the cold.
I thought about us moving to someplace warmer today. It was 4 degrees last night.
Several years ago we started planning to live frugally...turning down the thermostat, getting rid of the extra car and such. We've done well until my husband developed cancer.
He can't stand the cold (60 degrees) that we had become accustomed to.
Say hello to six or seven hundred dollar a month heating bills again as I use a fan or crack a window to keep from having heat stroke. :D
Anyway...people do need plan but try not to worry. Just be prepared.
Start buying what you can in bulk and dry it to preserve it.
Buy some alcohol to barter...along with any skills that you have.
Prepare.