It is January 10, 2012. The temperature was in the fifties (Fahrenheit degrees) for the past couple days in Chicago. Repeat … temperature was in the fifties for consecutive days in Chicago, Illinois in January. With no snow cover on the ground. In fact, it has only snowed once or twice all winter, only a couple inches, this winter. If you’re not familiar with Chicago’s (miserable!) winter weather, we traditionally have a couple substantial snow showers in November followed by considerable snow accumulation by Christmas and dreadful cold and snow in January. Rather, the weather has been – from a purely superficial, near-sighted perspective – pleasant (which is anything but pleasant when considering the potential future impact of this shift in weather patterns).
I hope this obvious weather shift is alarming to a majority of the world population … so we nudge politicians to regulate corporations to immediately take drastic action – rather than the new policies set which require governments and corporations to gradually cut down on emissions … beginning in 2020! Gulp. Sorry to announce this but … likely far too little far too late.
I am a United States Coast Guard-licensed 100-ton boat captain. During summers I pilot Red Witch, a 77-foot wooden two-masted gaff-rigged schooner on Lake Michigan from a homeport of Chicago. Red Witch offers 2-hour and 3-hour public sails and private charters from Burnham Harbor, in the museum campus, adjacent to Soldier Field (home of da Bears … go Bears!). During winter months, I offer a few days of meditation sailing on a Cal 33, a 6-passenger sailboat, from Marina Del Rey (Los Angeles).
This service is offered for free – as I earn sufficient revenue from Red Witch such that I can ‘give back’ during winter months, offering free silent sailing on the Pacific Ocean. The price of admission is free – as I don’t want money to be an obstacle to one’s meditation practice. Yet, for those who have ample funds, donations are appreciated to help cover the cost of boat mooring, maintenance and airfare. TMI – I have always offered a sliding scale whenever offering healing services (ranging from free to $100 per hour for energywork and holistic psychenergetic consultation). I felt that meditation on the sea is beneficial – especially to those who typically are unable to achieve inner stillness. Meditation sailing shifts one’s typical land-based paradigm, immediately presents an all-encompassing natural environment, and as water symbolizes our spiritual nature, it seems a supportive environment to letting go and dropping in.
The point is … as a boat captain I constantly observe weather patterns. Five months per year I am primarily in Chicago (and escape as often as possible to a log cabin on the Canadian border on Lake Huron, in Michigan … I am writing this blog from the cabin! Love it here!!). Seven months per year I enjoy visiting the cabin as frequently as possible, and sailing on the Pacific Ocean (public meditation sailing sessions and rejuvenating solo sails, and sails with friends, to Catalina Island – to sail with dolphin and whale!!!!). Back on point, whereas I am somewhat aware of weather patterns in Michigan and LA, I am VERY aware of weather patterns in Chicago.
During a late-summer sail, with twenty passengers from the British Isles aboard Red Witch, we departed the dock at noon-ish. The day before a report of a water-spout (tornado over water) over Lake Michigan, within sight of Chicago, was confirmed. I have been a commercial mariner on Lake Michigan and the Chicago River (piloted architectural tour boats) for ten years. I had not seen a water-spout until this particular morning, when I noticed a very small yet constant vertical stem slowly lowering from a distant cloud to the east-southeast, perhaps fifteen miles away. Within minutes, as it approached the surface of the lake, it became obvious that this was a water-spout. The water-spout lasted approximately twenty minutes. It was very narrow, at times transparent (as water was being lifted via vacuum to the clouds above). Shortly after its disappearance, another water-spout was sighted. Again, I had never before seen a water-spout near Chicago.
Additionally, two years prior, just before departing the dock with a group of 150 passengers aboard the Bright Star, an 83-foot double-deck architectural tour boat docked at Navy Pier, I noticed that the early evening sky seemed an odd color – and that the clouds were quite low and of suspect shape. Before giving the command to release our mooring lines I turned the VHF radio to the weather channel (Channel 1), and listened with disbelief as the robotic moderator stated “a funnel cloud was reported over Logan Square, heading for Lincoln Park.” I was shocked, as common belief was that near-coastal Chicago located within approximately five miles of Lake Michigan, would experience a tornado no less than once every fifty years. The funnel cloud was no more than five or ten miles from the boat. Within one minute I directed all passengers to quickly disembark the vessel. We doubled our mooring lines to sit out the storm at the dock. A few minutes later the tornado siren sounded from Navy Pier. The siren had not been employed in thirty years!
Fifteen years ago, in 1995, I read that global warming would be visible and obvious within a decade or so, such that Chicago’s climate in the 21st century would mimic that of 20th century Texas. The winter of 2012 thus far reminds me of the winter I resided in Dallas in 1980.
Global Warming is a Scientific Fact. The polar ice caps are receding more quickly than anticipated. Many other scientific phenomena have been documented that provide evidence of global warming. I do believe that global warming is upon us and if left unchecked until 2020, may have significant impact upon the world as we know it.
Do all you can to influence politicians, media and corporations to immediately convene so as to set stricter policy regarding regulation of global emissions. The prior agreements (in South Africa in 2011 and, prior, in Osaka, Japan) were ridiculous – again, too little too late. I am not asking to bankrupt world governments and corporations. They can re-direct their focus upon design and construction of green technologies. Yes, I know that these technologies are not in favor as they tend to cost more than non-green technologies and so are less attractive to near-sighted industrial and public consumers. But, without an immediate shift to green technology, we may pass the point of no-return for the environment.
Admittedly I have a huge carbon footprint. I worked aboard, then piloted the Bright Star for seven years – navigating 3,500 hour-long architectural trips on the Chicago River. The Bright Star is powered by large Caterpillar diesel engines. Thus I spewed much carbon-based pollution into the river and air.
To partially counter my contribution to the world’s carbon monoxide, etc., I bought the greenest tour boat in Chicago, wooden tallship Red Witch. She is built of wood – thus no plastics and minimal metals were used to produce her (the manufacture of which requires great quantities of energy and spills great sums of emissions into the air). She primarily uses the power of the wind for conveyance. We do have an auxiliary engine which we use to depart and return to the dock, but the engine is used sparingly. Red Witch supports green technology – specifically wind power. Both my company truck and car have diesel engines, which are, arguably, more efficient than gasoline engines. Additionally I hope to create green electricity for the cabin in Michigan – using geothermal power for heat and solar panels for electricity. I’d like to be off the power grid.
Whereas I can do much more – and hope to – in an effort to support our natural environment, at least I have done a tiny bit.
What have you done to help the environment? What else can you do?
Thank you!
Andrew
