If you ever had high school chemistry you’ve probably seen a clock reaction, a fascinating transformation when two clear fluids mixed together stay clear for seconds then abruptly turn opaque. On its own the reaction illustrates quite a few chemical principles. Despite abstruse or simple explanation it never loses its magical appeal. None of which is why I cite it here. Whatever the chemical gear works my only need is as an example of something instantly changing to an opposite--clear to opaque--as if nothing had set the stage--out of the blue so to speak.
The clock reaction
You’ve presumably just seen
Is how climate change
Is really going to work
We’ve already set in motion
Many self-fulfilling prophecies
Once the Arctic ice begins to disappear
More warming sunlight is absorbed
In the air in the sea less reflected
Into space the more the tundra melts
The more methane is released
Methane is an atmospheric heat trapper
Far more effective than carbon dioxide
It accelerates its melting its release
Of even more methane did you know
Half the earth’s oxygen is produced
By plankton in the sea who die as the oceans warm
Like burning the trees of the rain forest
Destroying the oxygen producers
While producing more carbon dioxide
Which warms the oceans
Which kills the plankton
Which reduces all the oxygen
That Jack would breathe in his house
So climate change is not just
More dry forests to burn
Not just deeper drought in more places
Not just more stronger storms
Not just less food produced
While the world whistles its time away
Trying to keep the temperature rise
Within two degrees Celsius
While politicians shilly-shally
Proudly hawk their modest plans
To eventually slow not stop
Those factors building on themselves
Having passed the point of no return
Continue building one upon another
To put our future
Out like a light
c. J.S.Manista, 2015
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