Have you ever wondered where paradise is? There is a small town named Paradise, Michigan, located 315 miles east of Lake Superior. But really, paradise can describe the whole area around the Upper Great Lakes. It’s a beautiful place to live, yet sometimes it doesn’t feel that way.
Take the weather, for example. This morning, it was a cool 42 degrees in Two Harbors. We get cloudy, humid days, and yes, we still have snow in the winter. But think about the rest of the world. While we’re enjoying our respite, many regions are suffering from extreme heat. France experienced its hottest summer ever this year, and countries like China, Japan, and even the UK have also set temperature records. Closer to home, places like British Columbia and Alaska have faced unprecedented heat waves.
It’s not just the land; our oceans are heating up too. Last year was the hottest on record for ocean temperatures. Areas like the Mediterranean Sea have warm water that’s at its peak for over 50 years.
The impacts are severe. Many regions are experiencing destructive droughts. Countries like Turkey, Iraq, and Greece are particularly hard hit. On the other side, heavy floods struck places like Pakistan and parts of India, causing huge devastation. In Pakistan alone, over 4 million people are displaced due to floods.
These climate changes harm agriculture significantly. A study suggests that Europe and the U.S. could see agricultural production drop by up to 40% in some areas due to climate shifts. This is alarming, considering how much we rely on stable weather for our crops.
Wildfires have made headlines too. Just recently, historic fires in Spain and Germany burned millions of acres. In Siberia alone, 33 million acres were lost to wildfires in the past two years— a scale hard to fathom compared to local fires in Minnesota.
Beyond these disasters, the most concerning issue might be the impact on ecosystems. The delicate balance of microbial life, crucial for healthy soil and clean water, is being disrupted. This could have long-term effects on our food supply and environment.
So far, the Upper Great Lakes region has had some protection from these extreme changes. We haven’t faced the intense heat, droughts, or devastating wildfires that others have. But we can’t afford to be complacent. It’s a wake-up call for all of us. We need to manage our forests and waters wisely and advocate for sustainable practices to combat climate change.
Remember, we live in a beautiful place. Let’s work together to keep it that way.
Russ Mattson of the Two Harbors area is an electrical engineer and advocate for environmental issues, involved with multiple national nonprofits since 2012.
