Transitions

Returning to the same location allows one to gauge that which has changed and that which remains.

The logs in the fore and middle ground have been newly deposited…those to the right and in the far background have been down for a while.

Some tree debris is ephemeral-so light that it will soon be carried away by the strong winds or heavy rain that will inevitably scour clean this boulder once again.

That smaller material may coalesce into a catchment for other pieces and thus form a dam-like structure that will continue to hold that which enters its grasp. Nature’s still life. Time and continued exposure will eventually break those bonds, and that structure will also be swept away. Another will take its place.

The largest pieces continue to weather in place-the inexorable process of decay. These tree trunks are reminiscent of exhausted dancers that have simply collapsed.

That which is human-made, however, will outlast all the rest. Plastics may shred or break into smaller pieces, but it will long remain a presence within the eco-system.

Be safe and well.

Please remember that all content on this site is copyrighted by Kevin P. Mick Photography. All rights reserved.

A Walk

This was the first real snow of the season. The weather app keep referring to this as “Flurries”, most likely because often the precipitation was very fine so as to be nearly invisible. In any case, it flurried itself into a total of about three inches of a heavy and wet accumulation that adhered to everything…and the temperature hovered around 25 degrees.

Not a blizzard by any means.

Those conditions, though, produced a very hushed environ…all that could be heard was the slow meander of this small stream…

and the occasional creaking of the trees when the wind kicked up.

Be safe and well.

Folly

I am sure I have mentioned this before, but John McPhee writes so eloquently, as he always does with his work on whatever topic, about the folly of attempting to control nature. Now that the climate genie is well out of the bottle, efforts at such have become much more costly in terms of mitigation and adaptation, as well as in the recovery from weather-related disasters. 2023 has gotten off to a rough start in that regard.

I used the photograph to illustrate this post for several reasons. That the barn’s upper level is all that is visible is suggestive of mud/landslides and/or avalanches that bury built structures or knock them off foundations. If we change mediums, it can also be a metaphor for sea-level rise and flooding. The cloud overhangs like a specter of what is to come. It also dwarfs the barn and trees and therefore represents a much larger force. BW was used because, well, I like BW. I also think it imparts a documentary look from another era.

At the time these photographs were made, it was also a bright, crisp, breezy, just as the sun was rising moment, as depicted above. A great day to be out and about. This was one of the first photos from that morning and the sun is about to clear the far treeline. The view is 180 degrees or so opposite the lead photograph. One compositional message here is to also look behind you when photographing sunrises and sunsets.

Why such a gloomy interpretation to such a serene scene? That is how my psychology works. It is not that I do not see and appreciate the beauty in such moments, because I most certainly do. That is one of the reasons for getting out of a warm bed on mornings that are also bitingly chilly and damp. No, it is simply because there is direct hard evidence as well as metaphors that serve to remind us that we are in the Anthropocene Era.

That is a message on which to not loose sight.

Be safe and well.

Evidence

It appears that California has a bit more weather this week before an incoming dry spell. This spate of atmospheric rivers has been devastating, and some have lost their lives. It is also important to note the benefit of the reservoirs filling and groundwater replacement, especially for a state so parched by extreme drought. States further east also experiencing catastrophic drought have not received this moisture.

On the opposite side of the country, we have had not nearly as much concentrated rain over the past year, despite the overall number of days of precipitation, and no real snow beyond some flurries thus far this winter. We still have quite a bit of time for the white stuff, especially since the Januarys of now seem more like the Novembers and Decembers of old. Our risk for snow now extends throughtout February and into March, sometimes April.

When it has rained, we have typically had episodes that align with the computer models for this area based on climate change.

That would be short periods of intense rainfall that have a tendency to quickly inundate, run-off hardened surfaces, flood local waterways, and move about trees, tree debris, and other materials.

These are simply different geographic expressions of the same overall, global, pattern.

The evidence of such is clear to be seen.

Be safe and well.

Weather Whiplash

The term/descriptor “weather whiplash” is in the lexicon, and has been for years. While California is the focus of many reports using this term, other parts of the country and world have had similar bouts of “quickly shifting” weather, as described in the linked article. In the case of California, the state is currently careening between extreme drought (which paves the way for record-setting years of wildfires), only to be currently hammered by catastrophic flooding and mudslides from the torrential rains arriving via the atmospheric rivers. These are symptomatic of the synergism of climate change.

Just as California has been a bellweather of climate change, ExxonMobile has long been a central actor with regard to the role that the burning of fossil fuels, which is, of course, central to their business model, has on heating the planet via the production of greenhouse gases. This report adds an important update to ExxonMobile’s (then just Exxon) history of gathering and responding to data regarding said impact…it turns out that their scientists were quite accurate in their assessments and predictions all that time ago. That, however, was then, and this is now, as California is bracing for more pounding, and other parts of the country are also experiencing strong storms.

While it is important to note that renewable sources of energy have gained ground, greenhouse gas emissions still rose in 2022. Indeed, the U.S. is well behind its intended goals for reducing such emissions. All the while, the costs of climate change-induced weather-related disasters continue to accrue.

The loss of life and monies involved in these storms reflects another point herein. This article from The New Yorker magazine includes a description about two philosophies governing corporations: “Shareholder primacy” argues that corporations have the obligation to pursue profits for their shareholders as their prime responsibility-nothing else should matter. The other, “stakeholder capitalism”, holds that corporations also have a responsibility to society writ large…this is behind “environmental, social, and governance (ESG)” investing. Climate change would appear to be a prime example of the shareholder primacy philosophy.

We are living out Exxon/Mobile’s predictions about climate change. That New Yorker article also mentions one interpretation of the “Golden Rule”: he who has the gold, rules (as opposed to “Do unto others as you would have done to you”). It has been the history of American politics that money begets power (this is an example) and thus the fossil fuel industry has been so successful in their goal of profitability as to be burning down the planet.

Think about this: the automotive industry eventually included seat belts, headrests, and more recently, airbags as well as other fundamental design and manufacturing changes in order to provide more protection against the physical mayhem, including whiplash, created by automobile accidents. Mr. Nader shook an industry and Congress eventually responded with the NHTSA.

The government has been involved in regulating environmental issues since 1970. While it may seem incomprehensible today, President Nixon, a Republican, created the Environmental Protection Agency. We are in a different time now. We’ll see where the EPA and this gets us as the Supreme Court has recently limited the EPA’s power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Congressional support for addressing climate change in a meaningful way will also be problematic just as the world is reaching critical points of perhaps no return.

Be safe and well.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S NOTE: The above images were made at a waterway some 2,500+ miles east of California. They do, however, reflect evidence of the repeated flooding experienced as a result of the local precipitation patterns.

Commentary

“It’s important that the United States, and specifically the Department of Energy, support new and innovative technologies to help us reach a clean energy future.”

That is the excerpted quote in the center of the piece of newsprint above.

There is no doubt that such a goal is important. We do as a society, however, appear to continue to search for technological answers when some basic behaviour modification would also be useful. For example, how difficult is it to properly dispose of trash?

Be safe and well.

Emotive

I find it interesting to explore the various subjective emotions a given photograph may evoke and/or represent. An overall look and then the examination of details within the image provides the content to consider.

For example, this is a BW photograph, which, in this instance, appears to remove any uplift that colour might provide-the warm reds of the background bricks are rendered in tones of grey. In terms of the details, the single, overturned fork remaining on the table is fodder for storytelling on its own. There is the slightly askew top on the cigarette bin next to an empty chair. Random leaves and tree debris are scattered atop the slate pavers. The vines in the background are withered. The furled umbrella.

Loneliness was the emotion that first registered when I found this scene. It is also illustrative of the numerous post-apocalyptic dystopian works of popular culture-HBO is debuting “The Last of Us” soon. Stephen King’s The Stand and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road also come to mind. And, of course, we are still in a pandemic with a new COVID variant circulating.

The year is quite young with many photographs already made and many to follow-this, though, is one of my favourite thus far.

Be safe and well.

Precipitation 2022

This is the final summary post of the just-completed 2022. These posts address three major topics which directly or indirectly drive the majority of my photography: the overall subject of climate change, trash and environmental degradation, and local precipitation, which is a micro-perspective of climate change. By my count, this area officially unofficially experienced 127 days with some form of precipitation-we also had several “excessive heat warnings”, but I did not track those…perhaps this year.

That count is “unofficial” in that moisture of some form could have fallen during an overnight period when I was sleeping and I would not necessarily have known it-the above snowstorm was certainly noticeable, both during and afterwards, especially since I needed to move the accumulation from the driveway. Therefore, only the days in which I could see and feel what emanated from the sky were counted.

Right now, California is being inundated by a series of atmospheric rivers-torrents of rain and blankets of snow have been falling across the state in the new year. California has experienced historic droughts that have lasted for years, and despite the need for water, the current conditions present difficulties with the capture and storage of this precipitation for later use. When so much precipitation falls so quickly, especially in a built environment, run-off and pollution become major issues. Such are much more likely during periods of extreme drought: the ground is too parched and therefore like concrete; rain falls too quickly to be absorbed; subsequently, it runs off before having a chance to become groundwater. The presence of actual concrete and asphalt and other hard infrastructure surfaces exacerbate this issue-here is an example. This then, impacts the amount of water that makes into the groundwater and aquifers, which provide the source for fresh drinking water. It is not surprising then, that drought, habitation, and industrial agriculture are putting available water sources at risk, as per this article. There is inter-state conflict, here is an example, over the control and access to available fresh water. Finally, yet another risk to the availability of fresh water for human consumption is saltwater intrusion, which occurs as aquifers are depleted.

As an aside, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) is that branch of the government that tracks, among many other topics as per the home page, “water data and information“. One can search for specific states for very specific data about local water conditions.

Water matters-that goes without saying.

Be safe and well.

Trash 2022

Discarded trash is one of the preeminent eyesores of public places and has long been a subject of this blog. I began making such photographs years ago as examples for discussions involving the hazards of pollution, toxins, and microplastics in Sociology 101 classes. This work ultimately led to the creation of a project wherein students would photograph that which concerned them in their neighborhoods and also research the issues involved and possible solutions. This is in keeping with the discipline of Environmental Sociology, which is a sub-field dedicated to such issues and addresses the reciprocity between the degradation of the environment by peoples and the health risks to peoples posed by such detritus. That was a worthwhile project.

The photograph above was made New Years Day 2023 and seemed like a good choice to lead this post…the cigarette butt in the planter adds to the content. The wilted leaves make the final point.

The photographs below were all made during 2022 and in a variety of locations:

I have seen abandoned tires in this area before, but not like these.

There were more than a few shoes and socks left behind. It is hoped that the owners realized they were missing and returned to find them. On a more philosophical note, it is a point to ponder at which time something forgotten or unintentionally lost crosses a line and becomes trash.

Given the global issue of access to fresh water, a problem in many areas of the U.S. as well, it is always disconcerting to see full to nearly full bottles of water laying about.

This can was most likely wedged into this crevice by floodwaters…but that is unknown.

Alcohol and tobacco are a common pair. The first part of the brain affected by alcohol is the frontal lobe-the seat of judgment, reasoning, and decision-making. This can lead to disinhibition, whereby one acts impulsively without thinking about the consequences of one’s behaviour.

Clearly some people don’t think or simply don’t care about the trash they throw away.

The consequences matter.

Be safe and well in 2023.

Systems II

The previous post addressed the weather systems that had pounded the city of Buffalo, NY and continue to pound California.

That pounding in California comes via a series of atmospheric rivers that continue to cycle. The amounts of water and snow being dumped have created the risk of localized flooding, mudslides, and avalanches. Officials in various parts of the state have advised against traveling due to those risks.

As per this report, atmospheric rivers are a common occurrence in California and the state relies on them to build snowpack in the mountains and replenish water supplies at lower elevations, which are quite important given that California has a recent history of prolonged severe drought. What is different this year, so far, is the rapidity with which the rivers have cycled as one follows another. The degree to which human-induced climate change in involved with this pattern is being studied. What is known, is that warmer air has the capacity to hold more water. Climate change also impacts air currents moving through the atmosphere and therefore the dispersal of that moisture. Together, those two conditions have the potential to exacerbate one another and set the stage for extreme weather such as this.

Extreme weather that then affects other types of systems as well. For example, in addition to the risk for land-based travel in blizzard conditions, the bomb cyclone of late December created thousands of flight cancellations stranding travelers during one the busiest of holiday seasons. Southwest Airlines was evidently responsible for more than their fair share due to issues with “…antiquated crew scheduling software…” that continued after the storm abated as per this report. Not knowing where ones pilots are located would appear to be a management issue.

Concern has also been raised with regard to the manner by which city officials in Buffalo responded to the bomb cyclone forecast. This report addresses the timing and impact of decisions made and not made in the city.

My point in all of this is that we humans have created a very complex and highly mobile society-one that has expectations of being able to not only get to and from work or the corner store but also to travel for thousands of miles with minimal hassle. Or the threat to loss of life. Bomb cyclone and atmospheric river systems create maximum disruptions to such movement. Our fossil-fuel burning lifestyle sets the stage for, and increases the risk of, amplified weather patterns. When such storms develop, time pressures are brought to bear on the implementation of public policy. Said infrastructure is often inadequate in the face of such ferocious weather. And income inequality and housing issues put many at increased risk. Quite a cluster. One that we as a society will face as long as we fail to meaningfully address climate change.

We had a thunderstorm last night. While it was nowhere near the type of storms described here, it is in stark contrast to the 2 degree temperature we had at the bottom end of that bomb cyclone of just a short while ago. It is, after all, the first week of January-not June, July, or August. It was odd to hear the rumbling of thunder and see the flash of lightning.

Be safe and well.