The Power of Listening

I deliberately talk with strangers about climate change. Listening to folks express their feelings, conceptions, and misconceptions has been an enlightening experience. Each viewpoint challenges me to find meaningful ways to interact.

I was on my way through Bergland to a climate meeting in Houghton when I stopped to fill up. A gentleman and I chatted briefly. He was perplexed with the amount of rain we endured recently. “Where is all this rain coming from? Doesn’t the earth have only so much water?”

My reply, “The gas we are putting in our cars will soon be carbon dioxide. This will cause the earth to warm. The oceans warm and they evaporate more water into the sky which sometimes comes here.” “And”, I added, “If we do not do something, we can expect a lot more.”

In a way, this question and answer encompasses most of the challenges of our changing summer weather. Admittedly, my response was very basic, but basically correct.

The earth has only so much water. Much of it is solid. Ice is thousands of feet thick over Greenland and the South Pole. Warm it and it melts. Oceans, in turn, go up.

 Oceans warm and they evaporate. Water vapor is jammed into the air.

Now, it is the turn of the atmosphere to deal with the heat and water. Warm air holds more water vapor, a lot more. This is what will plague us as mega-rains until we can bring down the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere.

Water vapor has a hidden quality we do not normally think of.  Water vapor, like other components of the atmosphere, cannot be seen.  Invisible water vapor’s unseen quality is the potential heat or latent heat which eventually, and inevitably, is released when it turns back to water droplets, and rain.

As a pilot, I experienced its strength when I foolishly penetrated storms. It is this released hidden heat of condensation that causes updrafts, and then the counter effect, downdrafts which bring down massive rains.

I have presentations, reviewed by chemistry and physics professors, and atmospheric scientists. I can bring these to you and your friends.

Curious to know more? Call me at 906-285-3702 or write me at the Climatelynx@earthlink.net to book a movie or a talk.

Warm regards, Cool planet, Greyson Morrow

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