The skies finally yielded a little rain yesterday, the first that’s fallen here in a few weeks. My weather station measured .95 inches over the last 24 hours which wasn’t a soaking, but it’s welcome relief and I’ll bet the grass starts growing again.

You’re probably tired of my local weather results showing up here, but our changing climate have me paying closer attention. I bought my own weather station because I was unsatisfied with getting those details from a central source. I’m convinced our future holds more varied and violent weather events than what I’ve seen to this point in my life and it’s okay if you disagree. After all, the issue of climate change has moved from a scientific matter of observation to become one of the major political issues of our time.

And who among us can agree on politics or religion?

I don’t think it serves humanity well that each end of the political spectrum can “buy” their own scientists to declare and publish whatever position their owners pay them to espouse. I guess such is life in a modern society inundated with complex problems and issues whose citizens clamor for sound bite simple solutions to all their problems while at the same time re-electing the same boneheaded politicians who have zero chance of doing anything except making matters worse.

Taken together I think the weather is going to be a growing problem that we will have to survive, not just enjoy. While we can do nothing to stop what’s coming, it will provide additional space for amateur radio to continue its long-term role as keeper of the comms when all else fails. Whether for data collection and sharing that information or on the front lines of emergency service when climate related fires, floods, and violent storms damage critical infrastructure frequently. Or both. And more.

This seems an opportunity for ARRL to come up with an additional service to community. An Extreme Weather Radio Corps, perhaps as an adjunct to the current emergency communications services with a specific focus on severe weather related episodes. I can’t articulate how this might look two years down the road, or how it might even differ from the current emergency services work.

But I’m certain of one thing; government services will be unprepared and fail miserably at the worst possible moment. That’s just the way it is…