It was 74 degrees (23°C) here today, and until an hour ago it was beautiful. I used the leaf blower for the second time, for some Spring cleaning. (Hmm...Spring?)
Of course, it's March 9th, and this temperature is a record high for this area and this date, which is...troubling, too.
Me to winsome checkout girl: It's beautiful outside.
She: I know. I love it! It's just like home.
Me: Where's home?
She: South Carolina.
Me: Oh. The thing is though, our weather isn't usually much like South Carolina's.
She: I know! Well, enjoy it while you can!
Hmm. A person could take that two ways.
I don't think anything, ever—no, not disease-bearing ticks, not precarious heights (I'm scared of heights), not the thought of being trapped while spelunking (a picture I saw decades ago in National Geographic gives me the willies to this day), no, not even the phrase "President Trump" (now I've done it—at this rate I'm going to give myself nightmares)—has frightened me half as much as climate change. I wish I could un-read all the books I've read about it past about the first half of the first one.
But I have to admit it's a very odd thing indeed that it's so sinister and at the same time so...pleasant. Sort of like the malignant hit man in "The Wire" who would gently console his victims before murdering them.
After I posted that "RIP" post this morning for George Martin, I was reached by news of the death of photographer Gary Braasch, of Portland, Oregon. Gary, an energetic and active 70 years old, died while on assignment, snorkeling at Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The exact cause is still being investigated.
A passage from Gary's bio at trunity.net:
His keystone project since 2000 has been World View of Global Warming, which is the only dedicated photo documentation of the effects of rapid climate change. For this Gary has journeyed extensively including to China, Australia, Tuvalu, Antarctica, the Arctic and the great mountains of the world. An exhibit of 30 prints on climate change has been exhibited at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC and at Chicago's Field Museum. In 2007 he published a book on this: Earth Under Fire: How Global Warming is Changing the World (University of California Press).
There are obituaries at The New York Times and at Fox News.
Sincere condolences to Gary's friends and family. My hope is that someone continues his necessary work. It will take courage, I think, and great fortitude—or hopefulness as strong as Gary's.
Original contents copyright 2016 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.
(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:
Cedar Braasch: "Thanks for getting news of my father's passing out to the world. The Washington Post did a great article on my dad as well. I hope to work with his girlfriend and partner Joan to continue his message and elements of his work. Thanks for all the love and support. Climate change is a major issue that will only continue to cause suffering in this world. It's time to stand up and push for legislation that protects our environment, our oceans, our forests and drinking water. My dad lived his life so well and helped so many people. My father wasn't someone who just took 'pretty photos'; his message and love for the world changed so many minds on the subject of climate change. My father found in his early work covering the Mount St. Helens eruption how fast life bounces back after complete destruction. It's part of the cycle of life and this world.
"Grieving with you and your community, Cedar Braasch."
We have one of Gary's prints, purchased many years ago at a benefit for http://www.oregonwild.org
By all accounts Gary walked the talk and although he traveled all over, I think his strongest work was done here in the Pacific Northwest — a region he photographed, perhaps, better than anyone else.
Posted by: Semilog | Wednesday, 09 March 2016 at 08:54 PM
I totally agree with you, the scariest, and most important, thing facing us is climate change.
Posted by: steven Ralser | Wednesday, 09 March 2016 at 11:05 PM
I'm not being political with this comment I'm being sincere... short of something sudden like a meteor strike suddenly altering climate in dramatic, extinction level event like fashion I honestly don't understand feeling fearful about climate change. Wherever you come down on the continuem of "cause", "pace" and or "prevention", living fearfully seems fruitless at best and bad for your health generally. 2cents.
Posted by: Steve D | Wednesday, 09 March 2016 at 11:20 PM
leaf blower = climate change
Posted by: jho | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 01:08 AM
not even the phrase "President Trump"
That scares the rest of the world too. Hopefully it won't happedn or even be allowed to happen.
Posted by: Steve Smith | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 03:00 AM
Two points: one general, one not. Gary wanted to have us understand Global Warming, and on a personal aspect, I too am now age 70. For me numeral 50 and then numeral (age) 60 seemed such a very short while ago.
Posted by: Bryce Lee | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 03:10 AM
You shouldn't get so upset about fairy stories...
Climate change is perfectly normal, it is out of our hands, so why worry?
The southern checkout girl gave good advice.
Posted by: Stephen J. | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 03:14 AM
I don't know Gary's work, but it's always sad to hear of an untimely death - and 70 does now feel untimely.
I'm completely with you on climate change and it amazes me that, given the growing certainty within the scientific community Iver such a long period, we still haven't built a strong democratic and political will to address the issues in timely manner. Even now, when governments are trying to take the matter seriously, we seem more likely to be delayed and derailed by the interests of 'capital' and the unstable economic situation it has helped to create than to actually achieve enough in time.
Enjoy the warmer weather while you can...
Posted by: Mike | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 04:14 AM
I went looking for Gary's website after reading about him in this post, it is: http://www.braaschphotography.com
Which lead me to thinking about how many other photographers do I have to read about only when they die? Who really should be more widely known while they are alive, especially those who are doing important work.
* Mike can you do more on inspirational photographers like Gary as it would be great to read about them while we can still engage with them directly.
Posted by: Michael Wayne Plant | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 04:30 AM
Weird coincidence, March 8th 2016 was hottest night ever in Melbourne, Australia in March (29.3 degrees C ) -smashed previous record by nearly three degrees Celsius . And 74 percent of Republicans in the US don't believe climate change is real.......
Posted by: Bruce | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 05:38 AM
I find I have to filter some of my climate change discussions around my daughter. At 18 it's just too depressing. Just never go to a Guy McPherson talk. His prognosis is so dire he became a certified grief counselor to help his audiences deal with it.
Posted by: John krumm | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 08:58 AM
In 1980 I quit a very well paying job in Tierra del Fuego because I hated the cold weather. I returned to work there from 2013-2015, and found it quite tolerable. Sometimes climate change seems OK.
Posted by: Clayton | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 10:05 AM
Gary's hometown newspaper, The Oregonian, has this obit:
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2016/03/gary_braasch_renowned_photogra.html
Posted by: Mark | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 12:04 PM
Well, if you need something to be scared about, try this: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/10/dangerous-global-warming-will-happen-sooner-than-thought-study
It's from yesterday's Guardian. How anyone can deny global warming is beyond me. It is real, it is happening, it is going to affect you and especially your kids. Of course we can do something about it, but it's almost too late now.
In Western Australia every summer is hotter than the last, every winter is drier than the last. We had four days in a row above 40C a few weeks ago, bookended by 38Cs and 37s, and our dams are virtually empty. We're reliant on underground aquifers and desalination now. This is unprecedented.
The only good news is that if you like solar power, WA is the place for it. If we didn't have air conditioning, I'd be moving south (to cooler climes) by now.
Posted by: Peter Croft | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 04:19 PM
Yes, I saw the redbuds in bloom Monday and thought "Holy c**p!". My unscientific perception is that the last few years have been consistently abnormally warm or had other abnormal features, compared to the previous 20 years at the same location. I have to wonder why people over the age of 40 have a hard time believing that climate change is real. I am 59, and I remember very clearly how different the winters were when I was a child.
Posted by: NancyP | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 07:57 PM
P.S. If you want to know why climate change is worrisome, and you don't happen to be one of the people living in a near-sea-level locale like Miami FL and waiting to be flooded out, consider the public health implications of changing insect vector distribution. Zika virus, and the associated often severe congenital brain malformation, is the current hot topic. Zika virus has a mosquito vector, and that species is making its way north and is found in the southern US.
[My aunt, who is 78 and still very active, is a longtime hiker (she went on Outward Bound at age 40, with a bunch of 20-year-olds). She says there never used to be ticks in the woods in northern Michigan, and now they're so bad she stays out of the woods because of the risk of various tick-borne diseases. I was astonished to hear this, as she has been a lover of walking in the woods all of her life. --Mike]
Posted by: NancyP | Thursday, 10 March 2016 at 08:01 PM
Mike, we have tons of ticks and chiggers in Missouri, and I have found a very simple solution that you should pass on to your aunt.
Permethrin-treated long-sleeved shirts, pants, and crew socks (pant legs tucked into socks). Permethrin is a chemical that kills ticks and chiggers on contact, and is harmless to humans. You can spray your own clothing, pack, tent(Sawyer Permethrin spray, available at outdoors and hunting/fishing shops), you can buy pre-treated clothing (brand name of treatment is Insect Shield), or you can send your own (washed) clothing to the Insect Shield company, and they will treat it so the treatment lasts for at least 70 wash cycles. I use very light nylon fishing shirts and pants, and wool socks - the treatment works fine on those and doesn't cause degradation or color running. Yep, it is hot wearing long pants tucked into high socks and long sleeved shirt - but you are safe from ticks and mosquitos, and the amount of DEET you need to use on exposed areas is minimal.
The info on sending your own clothing:
https://www.insectshield.com/PDF/IS%20Your%20Own%20Clothes%20-%20U.S.%20form.pdf
Instructions on DIY
http://sectionhiker.com/treating-your-clothes-with-permethrin/
Posted by: NancyP | Friday, 11 March 2016 at 12:42 PM
Thanks so much for posting about Gary's passing, and for the informative links. Gary and his work were a huge influence on me, even though I knew him only for a week at the Maine Media Workshops one summer. My condolences go out to his family and friends. I've written a blog piece about my time on the path with Gary, http://markdannenhauer.com/on-the-path-with-gary-braasch/
Posted by: Mark Dannenhauer | Friday, 11 March 2016 at 12:54 PM