Discuss: Sunrise on the Medicine Wheel
9 comments
Re: “Sunrise on the Medicine Wheel”: Truly a numinous place, the Medicine Wheel is a poignant reminder of a culture that has a deep connection to the land and a refreshing perspective on cosmology. My only vexation in the article was the statement by Mr. Potts about his cautious optimism of the coming decades of climate change. He points to the unique ability of homo sapiens to adapt, which is undoubtedly true, but what about humans who don’t have the resources to adapt? What about the rest of creation? American coastal cities will make adjustments in infrastructure to deal with rising sea levels, but what about communities in Bangladesh, Nigeria or Indonesia? These countries are likely to have thousands of environmental refugees simply because they lack the resources needed to adapt to climate change. While we’re already seeing some species adapt to changing climatic conditions, as indicated in the article, but many species are not capable of adapting to the type of rapid change that lies ahead. It’s wonderful to be optimistic about adaptation, but Mr. Potts needs to think realistically before talking so optimistically; he needs to expand his vision just a bit to include homo sapiens in the developing world, as well as the rest of creation.
Re: “Sunrise on the Medicine Wheel”: Truly a numinous place, the Medicine Wheel is a poignant reminder of a culture that has a deep connection to the land and a refreshing perspective on cosmology. My only vexation in the article was the statement by Mr. Potts about his cautious optimism of the coming decades of climate change. He points to the unique ability of homo sapiens to adapt, which is undoubtedly true, but what about humans who don’t have the resources to adapt? What about the rest of creation? American coastal cities will make adjustments in infrastructure to deal with rising sea levels, but what about communities in Bangladesh, Nigeria or Indonesia? These countries are likely to have thousands of environmental refugees simply because they lack the resources needed to adapt to climate change. While we’re already seeing some species adapt to changing climatic conditions, as indicated in the article, but many species are not capable of adapting to the type of rapid change that lies ahead. It’s wonderful to be optimistic about adaptation, but Mr. Potts needs to think realistically before talking so optimistically; he needs to expand his vision just a bit to include homo sapiens in the developing world, as well as the rest of creation.