People here feel and express sorrow for those in this region and state, as well as those in other parts of the country and around the world, who increasingly seem to be beset with catastrophic weather events.

Even in this region, which has experienced virtually nothing when compared with what others have experienced — destruction, injuries and deaths, thousands of people and families having been afflicted — many individuals and families here also have experienced difficult circumstances due to Mother Nature’s fury and ravages.

While this region’s winter snow events are mild compared with what they were back in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s — although there have been scattered major storms over the past 40 or so years — the fact is, that the weather has changed and continues to evolve into something that has made older people, at least, wonder what might be in store for this planet over the coming decades and centuries.

At least in terms of the changing of the seasons, there isn’t the gradual evolution that formerly existed. This year, for example, the cold of winter lingered well into what should have been milder spring days and more sunshine.

And that scenario has played out in years prior as well.

Meanwhile, this winter-into-spring, there were multiple dreary days, periods of heavy rain and the resultant flooding, wreaking havoc for numerous area homeowners.

Then in almost a “weather second,” scorching summer temperatures were upon us, leaving many people wondering what actually had happened to spring.

No doubt weather experts are already probing into that “secret.”

But talking about weather should not always focus on the conditions themselves. Rather, it is important to look at, and reflect upon, the impacts of adverse weather, as the Wall Street Journal chose to do in a July 22 article headlined “Extreme weather driving global food-price surges.”

The Journal began the article with the point that the adverse weather the planet has been experiencing is driving short-term surges in food prices around the world.

The Journal continued with the following information:

“Staple foods — including potatoes, rice, onions, lettuce and fruit — are being hit by price shocks, according to a study led by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center in Spain. The spikes are linked to heat, drought and heavy rainfall conditions, the report said. ‘Until we get to net-zero emissions, extreme weather will only get worse, but it’s already damaging crops and pushing up the price of food all over the world,’ said Maximillian Kotz, a research fellow at the Barcelona center.”

Kotz, who led the Barcelona report, pointed out that rising food prices are the second-

largest effect of climate change that people see in their day-to-day lives, exceeded only by extreme heat.

The report admitted that while the 2023-24 El Nino weather system likely played a role in amplifying a number of extremes, the extremes’ increased intensity and frequency were in line with the expected and observed effects of climate change, and this year so far climate change seems to be very real once again, and not really easing up.

To a region such as this one, which always had four distinct seasons, not having four is to many people weirdly unnatural and perplexing.

Something is definitely happening, and those who have been duped into believing otherwise need to spend more time outside, reflecting upon what they are seeing.

We’re sorry for others now, but perhaps we’re nearing a time when we won’t be able to avoid being sorry for ourselves.