Climate disruption: The luxury of taking for granted

The legacy of environmental damage is so evident in Virginia. the fossil fuels and fracked natural gas that has played a massive role in VA’s economy for a very long time. From the Coal of Southwest Virginia to the Dominion pipeline it is undeniable that Virginia has played a role minimal as it may be in contributing to the growing issues we face with climate change. This is why I think it was a really smart choice to start this story with a description of the whole state from Richmond to Glasgow. Looking at the issue of private industry taking over the conversation both politically and the mind of the people. I think something Nash channels well in this book is the urgency of the climate issues and the vastness of it within the state, with lines such as “we are moving out of the patterns to which we’re accustomed and into variations that will be new, at times radical, and not as predictable.” grabs the attention of the reader and makes it land at home due to the context that it will be affecting everyone in the state. Nash also does a great job highlighting the work people are doing on this issue like Stenger running the entire Climatology office. With many figures that show progression in time Nash makes this topic that is entrenched deeply in scientific jargon easily accessible for the general reader in VA. I felt generally optimistic with Nash’s reading although the topic is a nightmare as Nash so promptly put’s it, juxtaposed with Chesapeake Requiem it reads a lot more like there is something we can easily do compared to an island and culture being destroyed. Nash shows us the people working to save VA from itself, which I personally think was a very nice touch that tips Climate fever into something I want to keep reading.