Inside our September/October 2023 issue
The Shame of It
In the record-breaking heat of the compressed summer, I learned a new and horrifying term: “wet bulb temperature.” It came alongside a forecast map on which whole Southern states were blacked out. On those days: it was dangerous to go outside. No air conditioning could mean no coming back.
I was chilled.
I had planned a light editor’s note for this issue, whose selections I love. September magazines are all about joy and lightness and change, after all. I had intended to celebrate autumn abundance and encourage the ravenous consumption of these 130+ titles. And you should do that indulging, please!—there’s so much here to devour.
But it was the climate change feature that got me in the end.
We cover five books by experts three times a year that issue warnings about climate change at increasing volumes. They go at the topic from different angles–embracing nature, the science of the elements, melting ice. Some contain complementary, crucial reminders: Climate Resilience notes that addressing climate change requires talking about climate justice too, because some people, and some geographical locations, are impacted more by these shifts. But these books all agree on one point: there’s so little time left to turn this around.
While I was thinking about how to introduce these vibrant, diverse, and wonderful books, a college student, Gabriel Infant, died after working in the Texas heat. He died six days after the governor rolled back protections for laborers. His internal temperature was 109°F. The protections remained rolled back. No one is facing consequences for Gabriel’s preventable death.
Are these costs that any of us are willing to accept?
We can’t. So we read. We learn. And we prepare to fight. Because we know now that there is no shaking the chill of this change.
Sincerely,
Michelle Anne Schingler
Editor in Chief
mschingler@forewordreviews.com
Michelle Anne Schingler
