According to this slate.com article, another in the series that ponders how the United States might finally come to an end, California and Texas are front runners for seceding from the US.
The idea of seceding with California doesn’t sound half-bad, but with Texas it just seem scary. Why is that?
According to this slate.com article, part of week-long series that wonders how the United States might finally come to an end, if global warming does in fact inflict the damage that some predict it will Detroit is one of the places you’re gonna want to be. Along with Buffalo and Cleveland.
There’s a reason these cities were settled early on in the country’s history — there’s an abundant source of water, and for Buffalo there’s Niagara Falls nearby (i think; i’m not looking at a map and have no memory for geography and believe that i’m recalling the article correctly) to provide power. Makes sense to me.
Which is why I’ve actually considered this a factor in whether or not we should move, believe it or not. As appealing as California sounds right now, if water becomes scarce, which it already is out there, then it is not the place you’re going to want to be. Also, worst case global warm scenarios expect that both coasts will be pretty much devastated, driving people inward. The slate article assumes that cities like New York and Boston will be entirely abandoned. Yikes! Just imagine. If you can, let me know, because honestly I can’t even begin to.
As for Texas, well, it, along with other gulf coast states/cities, will be pummeled again and again by increasingly powerful hurricanes and storms.
The Great Plains will turn to dessert. Southwest will become almost unlivable. And all the people there will have to migrate somewhere — inland and northward.
In such a scenario some think that we could head towards a conflict, ie war, with Canada.
Of course, the aticle concedes that this isn’t going to happen suddenly, like a James Cameron action flick. But rather it will unfold more slowly, like, say, a Terrence Malick or Stanely Kubrick film, over the course of years, perhaps almost a century. But still.
Actually, this Metro Times column by Jack Lessenberry provides more than just one reason to at least consider leaving Michigan. Or perhaps it is just one reason, a complex multi-layered reason.
In any case, the impending budget problems in the mitten state, which no one in the state capital seems to want to do anything meaningful about, grows ever dire. Everyone wants the problem fixed but no one wants to sacrifice. Of course, this attitude it not unique to Michigan. And California’s got budget problems as well, although supposedly they’ve come to some sort of agreement there. I don’t know. I haven’t really been following, although if my family and I are going to move there perhaps I should at least consider educating myself on the matter. But then I’d have to cut back on my TV time and there’s not way that’s happening.
With the droughts in Texas, Austin isn’t looking as appealing as it had been a few months back. But the economy is good there, as it supposedly is throughout Texas. Might just have to learn to live with the heat. Imagine — moving from Michigan where you can’t bare the cold winters anymore to Texas where you may not be able to stand the heat. The irony would be delicious. Mmmmmmmm irony.
So N. Carolina is looking better… right now anyway.
Of course, if we can’t sell our house, a move becomes even more difficult to accomplish, and with Michigan’s realestate market the way it is well….
And you know, with the kind of weather we’ve been having this past week — warm but not swelterying, blue skies, clouds, nice breezes — one can get lulled into a false sense of security about Michigan.
Maybe it’s not so bad afterall, you know.
Yeah, maybe. But check back with me come December.
Good point.
Damn straight it is.
