Evolution

My head is full of climate change at the moment. I was at a talk this morning put on by the Brotherhood of St Lawerence and the VLGA, Coming Together for Climate Change Equity. One of the speakers, from DSE, said that one of the difficulties of adapting to climate change was that human beings had evolved in a stable climate and so were not used to adapting, to coping with change.

I couldn't disagree more. It's factually and conceptually incorrect, even if the conclusion is near to the truth.

Human beings evolved in a highly variable climate, we came through an ice age or two (i really should research this) and adapted successfully to an incredible wide range of ecologies. In fact, the reason we have become such a dominant species is exactly because we are incredibly adaptable. It's why we have a large brain - we are able to assess and adapt to changes in our environment in a way that few other species can.

The problem is that we've adapted to a freak patch of stable weather that's been going on for a few thousand years now. Adapted incredibly well. And combined with our increasingly sophisticated ability to control and alter our local climate (ie buildings and air-con), hey presto we've become incredibly resistant to change. Our own brilliance is, in fact, threatening to trip us up.

We must learn to adapt to change again, rather than adapt to familiarity. The best preparation for the unknown is an openness and a courage to acknowledge and learn from what ever happens, and whatever it brings up for us.