I spent a lot of time in western Canada in the early 1970s. That's 50 years ago for all you young ones. The world was very different then. Edmonton was experiencing it's longest winter since, almost, forever. It was a long cold winter. In the summer in British Columbia they kidnapped whoever happened to be in the local pubs to fight the annual forest fires, but the temperatures rarely exceeded 80F. It was what people thought of as a bit unusual but not completely abnormal.
Today the world is different. Hard to believe this week, but this is what we should have expected.
Western Canada is wondering if it has been relocated to Death Valley.
There was famine somewhere in the world back then as there is now, but today, all of a sudden we need to find food for three times as many people.
We're trying to get on top of a global pandemic that everyone says was anticipated but that no-one prepared for.
We've accepted and supported and elected leaders who aren't game to read the writing on the wall, aren't able to act, and keep pointing the finger at someone else for their inadequacies - anyone else will do.
Alright - it's not all gloom and doom. There are some elected leaders in various countries around the world who are realists and who are keen to make sure the human race survives until at least 2100.
There are journos and communicators who are still quite sure, or at least hopeful, the message coming from the harbingers of knowledge and science will make its way through to political leaders, if not the general population. And that we'll act on it.
For even more good news - I'm coming back, soon, with some analysis and information about where we are today and what's in store. It won't be pretty.
Are you up for it?