What would happen if an island was repeatedly hit by level 5 hurricanes? The waters of the Caribbean had become warmer every year. Other islands were totally destroyed by the major storms. It is a wonder that anyone survived them. Many Puerto Ricans were forced to relocate to Florida, New York, or other places in the United States.
It seemed the government was not able to handle one disaster at a time. What would happen if ten disasters coincided? How could anyone abide by such a lack of response and divestment in appropriate threat-assessments and preventive measures? How could dwindling support for tackling massive disasters with practical solutions in private-public partnerships continue to ignore the fact that his children may not be able to reach their middle age with the number of life-threatening dangers they would face?
Dr. Burns was worried that his children would not even reach middle age due to the harmful effects that the environment could have. Problem sets had been devised by NASA and STEM advocates to introduce school kids to ongoing amazing discoveries and fields of mathematics, earth science, robotics and, Tom hoped, interstellar molecular and travel studies beyond science fair stand-outs. Yet, the same fears about leaving the safety of our solar system as well as deep pockets chose to foment apathy. They were too attached to believing that it was impossible that the creator of this Earth would ever let it meet its own destruction.
Tom thought, Certainly, by now many people from different faiths, beliefs, and patterns of thinking welcome informed decisions and better warning systems even if climate changes were part of God’s plan and unavoidable. Humans had to meet the challenges, and these decisions needed to acknowledge that they were based in fact and on predictions and warnings that have been thoroughly studied. People were to be held responsible for their own contributions to the changing climate and its impact on life on Earth. The gamble was too tenuous, and Tom wasn’t a gambling man in this regard. It was irrational to cover up climate change studies when it could harm so many. It often reminded him of historical mistakes that were irreversible.
The damage would be done and who cared where the dice fell. The president however had grandchildren but did not seem to care one little bit about them, except for the holiday photos, he supposed, to temper his image. Trump appeared to believe that money was the answer to everything. Tom and others thought it was going to be the end of everything.
But Trump was much more comfortable with losing money and critical investments than Tom ever would be. He likened him to a baron beyond the pale that drove people away from their lands, causing more tension to call the shots and ignore preventive warnings, technological capabilities and smart policies. He was more invested in the traditional scope of life; everything needed to be stapled down, same gas stations on every corner with no alternatives.
The absurdity hit Tom in the head daily as he continued with his plans. Despite the fact that the labs out in California had been working on more efficient engines and alternative fuels, the economy of scale mass production barred them viable entry points.
If his own children wouldn’t reach middle age, then how could he reflect on the past and not see that the dreams of the people who had sacrificed so much for a better future now hinged on a crapshoot. It made him reminisce about all the sacrifices his parents and grandparents had made and the life it allowed him to build. Tom’s grandparents—Dick and Martha Burns from Odessa in Ukraine—had moved to the United States to seek a better life for themselves and their family. His father, William, served in the Vietnam War as a bomber pilot. He flew thirty-two missions in North Vietnam and won several medals of honor including the Air Force Cross. When he returned from duty, William married Shelley Gordon, and they gave birth to Tom in 1975, their only child. They settled in New York where Tom attended New York’s public schools.
It was determined at an early age that Tom showed exceptional ability in the sciences and mathematics. As a result, he was sent to the Bronx School of Science where he graduated at the age of fifteen. His perfect scores on the SAT College Boards allowed him to obtain a full scholarship to the California Institute of Technology, and he graduated second in his class in aeronautical and environmental engineering. While he was there, he was captain of the rowing team, setting school records and placing well in the NCAA rowing championships.
Tom remembered the night he met his future wife at a college party at Cal Tech. It was a Saturday night bowling social at an off-campus bowling center. Sarah, with a group from Fremont College, was already bowling when Tom showed up with a nerdy friend and was assigned the alley next to Sarah’s group. Sarah had long blonde hair and a pretty face. Tom introduced himself to everyone including Sarah and her friend. He was quite a good bowler, averaging around 170 a game. In between turns, he struck up a conversation with Sarah who was a healthcare student. They took an instant liking to each other. They talked about bowling and where they each came from. Sarah grew up in Oceanside, Long Island not far from Tom’s family. She had decided to attend college in California since she wanted to enjoy the mountains and beaches. Before the night was over, Tom asked Sarah for her phone number, and she willingly gave it.
Since Tom was in the middle of rowing season and he was such a devoted student, it took a while for him to call her. Sara was surprised when Tom called. She thought that he had forgotten entirely about her. Their first official date was dinner and a movie. By the third or fourth date, Tom knew he was going to marry her. However, he did not propose until his senior year. She said yes right away, and they began to plan their wedding and honeymoon and made plans for what they would do after graduation. The wedding took place in Oceanside, NY in 1997. Since Sarah liked the beach, they went on a one-week honeymoon to Jamaica at Sandals, an all-inclusive resort. They had a great time climbing Dunn’s River Falls and just lounging around, talking to each other.
Unfortunately for them, Tom’s dad passed away soon after the wedding. His death probably affected his next decision. After the honeymoon, with no job prospects, Tom decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps and join the Air Force. He trained as a flight pilot and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. After four years, he left the service and began working for Boeing as an aerospace engineer. Sarah and Tom also wanted to have a family. Sarah also had grown up an only child, influencing their decision to have multiple children. When Tom went into the service, Sarah worked as an emergency room nurse. The fact that she was so busy helped her keep her mind off Tom and all of the dangers he faced. When Tom came home, she learned about all the troubles in the world from him.
After several natural disasters struck California and Florida, they decided to volunteer. Their experience of helping homeless people made a lasting impression on them. Assisting others, they felt immense gratitude. As a result, Tom focused on climate change during his free time and diligently kept up-to-date on all the latest research and events.
Tom began to learn as much as possible about the impact of carbon emission on the climate and other factors that might affect the future. He listened intently to Al Gore and Michael Bloomberg when they tried to warn governments about the future of mankind with all the harmful man-made effects on the climate. It seemed that some people did listen to them, but the major countries, such as Russia, tended to ignore the warnings, blocking every effort to achieve any improvements to heed warnings. They were like ships sailing blindly into the night back into old familiar grounds too afraid to look forward.