Northern Minnesota is in the midst of quite an amazing storm. The last 24 hours have brought blizzard conditions, winds up to 68 mph, rain, thunder, sleet, and now, with temperatures falling, back to snow again. The video footage of huge icy waves hitting the piers at Canal Park is remarkable. At one point yesterday, looking out, I saw tornados of snow, tightly packed whirlpools of white. And while we have been spared the complete devastation further south, it has been unusually extreme, even for Duluth this late in the winter. Plus, we are on the verge of breaking the city's all time seasonal snow record.
One of the things I have decided to do in terms of climate events (and, for that matter, most news events) is to look for what is being revealed. These storms -- particularly the ones wiping neighborhoods and towns off the map, leaving rubble in their wake -- are revealing a lot. Too many of the building blocks of modern homes and lives are toxic to nature. It's one thing when they are superficially contained within four walls. It's another thing when they are spread willy-nilly across the landscape. Appliances, cars, siding, carpeting, plastic toys, neon signs, gasoline, insulation...all open to view. All open to the truth. Train derailments are revealing not just the condition of the tracks; they are a reminder to us of the real nature of the chemicals going into our cars, offices and homes. What is being revealed across the board at this pivotal moment in human history? In our politics, in national and international events, in economic trends, even in the choices we individually make on any given day?
In the end, is love the core energy of an event? (Love of people, non-human life, the earth, the universe...) For many people, thinking about "love" seems ridiculous in the face of all our complex challenges, but truly, that's why so much is happening as it is, so we will learn to love. Increasingly, love is all that will "work". So it is eminently practical to start to bring it into the conversation.
What will be revealed today?
