Something we definitely noticed on our trip was the impact of climate change in the western United States. . Areas that should have been rainy and lush in May and June instead provided bright sun and unusually high temperatures for the area. In six weeks, we only encountered rain a couple of times. Some places were still cool and moist, like the Redwoods of California, but they weren’t drippy and foggy like we’d anticipated. Some places were so absurdly hot with relentless sun, I struggled physically at times, like in Arizona. . Already so many temperature records have been broken this summer and the drought is forcing some states to reconsider infrastructure. This is real, guys, and it’s not going away. It’s heartbreaking to see the gem of our country, the dramatic, unique and unparalled environment of the west, change from impacts of human activity. . Selfishly, I’m grateful I got to see it before it’s unrecognizable but I hate typing that. We need to make the climate a priority and begin to make sweeping changes before the places we call home cannot support us any longer. Before we lose countless species of plants and animals that cannot acclimate. Before we have huge economical repercussions and climate refugees from places that refused to acknowledge or prepare for these changes. . My state of Texas is one of these, and after witnessing firsthand what can happen when your state doesn’t care to protect, help or prepare its citizens for weather disasters, it is unfortunately literal when I say that this is a deadly issue. . As heartbreaking as it is to see the natural beauty of our country crumble in drought, it’s not just an issue of losing something we love to visit or view with wonder. It’s about the domino effect that happens when you start plucking out key components of our delicate ecological balance (hint: they’re all key) and we begin to run out of food, safe land to live on, and tolerable temperatures. This is going to have an impact on you. You cannot escape that reality. Let’s think a little further ahead now, and try to future-proof ourselves a bit, because Future Us is going to need the help. . . . . . . . . . #climatechange #climatecrisis (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRy803MFTZY/?utm_medium=tumblr
