Climate Change and Environmental Organizations

by Brian Dugas

Did you know that January - April of this year is recorded as the warmest in 175 years.
April 2024 was the 11th month in a row to be the hottest on record, and that 2024 may be the first year to hit 1.5C of warming.

This summer is shaping up to have significant weather patterns due to the record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic and La Nina conditions in the Pacific.

I'm sure you have noticed the increased number and intensity of significant weather events like tornadoes already this year, and they are expecting a significant hurricane season as well.

Things are starting to build momentum and even the most adamant climate deniers will start to notice when it hits them in the pocketbook (insurance rates in Florida).

Recently I was contacted by two environmental organizations desiring to start chapters in our area. Over the last few years I have been disappointed at how little environmental activism there has been in NEPA, but I think that is about to change. Anyone wishing to pursue this further can join myself and others as we try to get organized and make an impact on the region.

The environment is just one of the reasons that we are seeing the number of refugees worldwide.  Violence, economic disparity, and people just searching for a better life all contribute to the refugee problem that is going to get worse. 36.4 million people in the world today are refugees and there are tens of thousands of unaccompanied children in our country. Lancaster County has hundreds of refugees arriving each year.

CWS Lancaster will be speaking to us on June 23rd, and they are the recipient of the Collection for a Cause this month. They have a Home Study program that works with children and their sponsors to visit homes, and their caseworkers work with them on goals such as attending school.

I asked the person I coordinated the service with if there was anything else we could do to help them.  They asked for school supplies.