How global warming is stealing our identity

It's an understatement to say it's a pet peeve of mine to hear people talk about the "gorgeous weather" we've been having.

To me, temperatures reaching +7 or so in Winnipeg in January aren't gorgeous, they're weird and disturbing.

In terms of basic preference, messy brown sludge and puddles is not what I'd call beautiful weather. And as someone who really loves winter and winter sports, it's obviously not fun.

And yes, I'm very worried about global warming. Can I definitively say our unseasonable temperatures are an effect of climate change? No. There have been other fluke temperature spikes throughout history. But looking at the frequency of extreme weather lately, and warnings from scientists, I'd say it would be negligent to not consider the distinct possibility.

Clearly, climate change has all kinds of devastating and incredibly serious implications for life on earth. But in addition to a healthy fear of our potential future, I'm also really sad about something else we will be losing here on the Canadian prairies: a shared sense of cultural identity connected to winter.

Beloved winter traditions that we take for granted as a part of life in 'Winterpeg,' like the ice sculptures at Festival du Voyageur, our record-setting river skating trail and The Forks' Warming Huts design competition, just to name a few, may soon be relics of the past. That's not to mention the hardships of all those whose livelihoods depend on snow and freezing temperatures. I'm not sure whether these losses are factoring in to people's enjoyment of the weather. It doesn't seem to be the case.

Even if you truly detest our traditionally frigid winters from the bottom of your heart, I bet you've used them as bragging rights with someone from a more temperate climate. The idea of the tough, hearty Winnipegger (Manitoban, Canadian) that can drive in any storm and trudge through snowdrifts meters high is part of our collective identity. That piece of who we are may have to be re-negotiated due to climate change. That's a really scary concept.

(Photo: Winnipeggers like to think they're hardcore. This is me tobogganing with a broken foot.)

I think for a lot of people living where I live, climate change continues to be a very abstract concept-- it's hard to care about something we can't (yet) see or experience, like other areas of the globe are. That's why for me, these insane temperatures come as a really devastating reminder of what we're in for. And even if you don't care about the inherent value of winter, the freaky weather is beginning to have a tangible effect on people here, and it has human rights implications (see, for example, reduced ice road access to isolated First Nation communities). As always, the most marginalized are the first to suffer.

So go out and enjoy the slush if you like. I just recommend at least keeping in mind the potential implications of the balmy weather, environmentally, and culturally, globally and locally.