There's Never Any Justice in the Weather

I just read a news bulletin saying that Environment Canada is predicting cooler than normal temperatures for my home province of Ontario into July, and more rain as well (see: Summer Forecast Calls for More Cool Weather in July for Ontario, Quebec).  Terrible news if you're looking for some nice hot, sunny weather up at the cottage.  I don't know why, but in the last few years I've become really sensitive to bad weather, even though I know there's nothing I can do about it.  Let's face it, Mother Nature has no sense of justice whatsoever.  For example, this past winter, eastern Canada had a very cold, hellish winter, whereas much of the rest of the world had one of the warmest winters on record.  You'd think we'd get a break from Mother Nature after a long, harsh winter that felt almost as bad as the previous winter in which the so-called polar vortex reared its ugly head.  Fat chance!  We're getting the shaft again.  In contrast, western Canada, much of which experienced warmer than normal temperatures last winter, is getting another gift from Mother Nature in the form of above average highs reaching 40 degrees in some cases. 

But before you pack your bags and head out west, let me tell you that the hot, sunny weather they've been getting isn't all good news, especially if you're a farmer or have a home or cottage anywhere near a heavily forested area.  The hot, dry weather in western Canada has brought on a major drought and farmers are losing their crops.  At the same time, forest fires are flaring up.  So if you ask some people in western Canada, I'm sure that they would gladly send some of the hot, dry weather they've been getting eastward to us in Ontario if they could.  Let's face it, no matter what the weather's like, there will always be someone that isn't happy about it.

Now of course, weather forecasters can be wrong and often are.  Indeed, as time passes, the weather is getting harder and harder to predict.  Why is this?  Well, I can pretty much sum it up for you in two words: climate change.  In fact, most experts will probably tell you that climate change is the main culprit when it comes to "unjust" weather patterns.  And who usually gets the worst of the effects of climate change?  Usually developing countries.  But why?  With the exception of China, developing countries are not the biggest causers of climate change.  It's mostly the industrialized economies, plus China, that pollute the most and hence are the main contributors to climate change.  But again, the weather has no sense of justice which is why although developing countries are not the main polluters, they're usually the ones to bear the worst effects of climate change.

So inasmuch as we like to complain about crappy summers and harsh winters, maybe we should be grateful that at least we're not dealing with killer storms that regularly hammer countries like Bangladesh and the Philippines, or droughts that last for years and kill thousands in Africa.  Easier said than done for me and many others who feel that they're entitled to good weather after enduring Mother Nature's wrath for awhile.