Witnessing Climate Change, First hand

WHERE I LIVE the temperature has been about one hundred degrees every day for a month, and it hasn't rained during that time. If this continues for much longer, the tree leaves will begin to turn brown. The grass has already died for the most part. The worst of it is farther south, in Texas, which never really had a spring, but went straight from winter into daily schorching temperatures and drought. and, of course, the entire western half of the country is still immersed in a thousand year drought, or five thousand year, or whatever - a drought which has already lasted twenty two years, with much more, probably, to follow. The wildifres can only ve expectted to get worse as the long summer ensues. I keep wondering how much longer until the wildifres reach the Ozark bio-region, which, so far, has been spared, but is becoming increasingly susceptible. Portugal, France, Spain,Italy...Europe is also experiencing drought and wildfires; it is a global phenomenon. And yet, we are still trying to persuade American conservatives that not only is climate change real, but that we humans are causing it. So far, they remain unconvinced, and the policies of the United States reflect a dismissive attitude about our impending disaster. Twelve percent of America's energy comes from renewables, solar and wind. Twelve percent. We should have been at this level decades ago.The stock resposne by climate change deniers is: "Yes, it hot. Yes, its dry. So what? Its hot and dry every summer." Which, of course, is true. To notice changes in general patterns one must be at least a little observant. If you're now on Medicare and receiving Social Security, and have paid attention to the weather and climate for decades, you've noticed: the weather patterns (climate) we have now are totally, entirely different from those fifty years ago. The growing season keeps getting longer, begining in winter and continuing well into autumn. March has become a spring month, October has become a summer month. Over time, you notice these changes. An yet the United States, rather than leading the world into a new era of sustainable energy and economics, dallies at a mere twelve percent renewable energy use, and is now tryng to get oil producers to increase production to keep the cost of gasloine from climbing ever higher. If you didn't know better, you might think we're doomed, and you might be right.