Pepper Trail: There's So Much Worth Saving

Climate change was primarily perceived as a distant threat for a long time.

But Oregon biologist Pepper Trail, 70, who often writes for the opinion service Writers on the Range, said he and other close observers have noticed climate shifts for decades.

He’s seen it in the premature blossoming of flowers, the diminishing snow caps on mountains, and, most strikingly, the increasing frequency of wildfires scorching the landscapes around him.

“I’m a naturalist,” Trail said, “and like many who have been sounding the alarm for years, I’m increasingly frustrated and struggling to avoid pessimism.”

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