Climate change may not be making many headlines right now, but that’s only because presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are sucking all the oxygen from the room. Last year (2023) was the hottest year on record, while 2024 looks poised to take over that title in a little over three months. The summer of 2024, which just wrapped up, was the hottest summer ever recorded.
We’re seeing the huge fires and ferocious storms that have become the hallmark of a rapidly warming world, along with all the negative impacts — think problematic water temps, nasty smoke, and hellacious heat domes — that shut down fisheries and make life miserable for anyone hoping to wet a line.
Some of the nation's most prominent fly anglers are paying attention to the threat. They’re also asking their fellow fly fishers to get engaged and stand up for our fisheries.
Conservation Hawks, a nonprofit organization made up of “hunters & anglers defending our future,” just released a short public service announcement featuring several of the biggest names in fly fishing. The 94 second video showcases Craig Mathews, Tom Rosenbauer, Hilary Hutcheson, Kirk Deeter and Todd Tanner sharing their views on human-caused climate change.
Craig is the author and angler who invented the Sparkle Dun and X-Caddis fly patterns, and founded Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, Montana. Tom is the longtime face of Orvis fly fishing. (You could also make the case that he’s the most well-known and highly-respected fly fisher on the planet.) Hilary, a supremely talented guide and writer, was the longtime host of Trout TV and now owns and runs an iconic fly shop — Lary’s Fly & Supply — in Columbia Falls, Montana. Kirk is the author, conservationist and media savant who edits TROUT magazine and, along with partner Tim Romano, heads Angling Trade and the new online fly fishing platform FlyLab. Todd runs both the School of Trout and Conservation Hawks, and has been writing about fly fishing on a national level for more than 30 years.
All five anglers offer their thoughts on climate change and then suggest how to address this massive threat. Please take 94 seconds to watch the new climate video, then share it with your friends and family members. If we want to hold on to our fishing, then we have to address our warming planet while there’s still time.
Comments
Appalachian Fly Tyer replied on Permalink
"Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas."
The scientific truth is that the planet has gone through warming and cooling cycles over millions of years. The earth is currently coming out of the last ice age so, yes it is warming. To state that the cause of the warming of the planet is due to the burning of fossil fuel is disingenuous. this does not mean that we should not be good stewards of the earth, but on the other hand, there are far too many organizations that are using the naturally occurring change in the climate for fund raising.
Rick B. replied on Permalink
Disingenuous? Which of the following science facts do find to be disingenuous?
1. During the combustion of fossil (hydrocarbon) fuels, carbon atoms in the fuel molecules bond with oxygen atoms in the atmosphere to form carbon dioxide molecules?
2. Worldwide combustion of fossil fuels in (primarily) engines and furnaces emitted over 35 billion tons of carbon dioxide molecules into the atmosphere in 2023?
3. Earth cools itself at night by emitting long wave, infrared light into space. This radiational cooling is most efficient on clear, calm, dry nights?
4. Carbon dioxide and other relatively large atmospheric molecules (methane, water vapor, etc.) absorb long wave, infrared radiation, converting electromagnetic light energy into heat?
5. Combustion of fossil fuels in transportation, electrical generation, and heating technologies has raised CO2 level to over 420 ppm, far exceeding the threshold level of 350 ppm? For thousands of years, pre-industrial CO2 levels never exceeded 300 ppm, until 1911 when the combustion of fossil fuel began to rise exponentially, and the 350 ppm was surpassed in 1958. These CO2 molecules continue to accumulate in the atmosphere because they take hundreds of years to eventually decompose.
6. The 11 warmest years ever recorded have been the last 11 (2014 - 2024)?
7. The rapid melting of Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, the acidification of Earth's oceans, more frequent and violent weather events, rampant wildfires could not be happening without unnatural levels of atmospheric and oceanic heat.
Well?
Kaibosh replied on Permalink
It’s ironic that you mention science while ignoring science. The scientific FACT is that humans are causing the earth’s climate to warm up. Denying that is akin to denying gravity or evolution.
Ron Dickson replied on Permalink
Thank you Appalachian Fly Tier for your input. Yes, it’s true that our climate continues to change. What captures my attention is the rate of temperature change due to natural events compared to the rate of change beginning with the industrial revolution when the world began extensive use of fossil fuels.
Up until the industrial revolution, the average temperature for the last 8,000 years has been remarkably constant.
History offers examples of dramatic climate shifts from relatively small changes in average global temperature. Two of the most notable departures from average in the last 2000 years were the Medieval Warm Period (from about 950 to 1250 AD) and the so-called Little Ice Age (from about 1450 to 1850 AD). Each was within 0.5°C of the pre-industrial average temperature we commonly use as a baseline (The Conversation). In the last 140 years the average global temperature has risen more than 2.5 times that much and is on a path to get much higher.
Stated another way, the average global temperature has increased by more than 2° Fahrenheit since 1880. Two-thirds of the warming has occurred since 1975. (NASA) Historical data show that natural changes in climate take place over thousands and thousands of years, not hundreds of years.
A +2° Fahrenheit increase might not sound like much but think about your body. A +2° Fahrenheit change is a big deal - feeling normal to feeling sick.
Raising the entire earth’s average surface temperature +2F degree over such a short duration (140-year period) took an enormous amount of energy. When you put that much energy into the system it affects our climate - climate change. That much energy results in more extreme weather - storms, floods, heat domes, drought, etc. That energy becomes a threat multiplier – increasing the intensity of naturally occurring severe weather. Severe weather becomes more severe.
My apologies if that presentation made your eyes glaze over. I think it important, however, for others to hear a high-level summary that refutes the standard climate denier argument – “the climate is always changing.” I encourage you to move beyond social media and do your own research.
Rick B. replied on Permalink
"Climate change" has been ongoing for 4.5 billion years. Please call it what it is: "ANTHROPOGENIC GLOBAL WARMING (AGW)".
The top 11 warmest years in recorded history: 2024 (projected), 2023, 2016, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2015, 2022, 2018, 2021, 2014.
Those are the last 11 years. All of the combined green technologies already implemented have done nothing to stem the rise in CO2 emissions.
Few climate activists understand the true scale of the problem. The energy (heat and electricity) needs of 8 billion humans cannot be met without widespread use of reactors fission reactors, but that ship has sailed. Retro-fitting a fossil fuel infrastructure with nuclear, hydro, solar, wind, and hydrogen will take more time and money and willpower than we collectively summon. Let me use one word to show how vast the problem is, a fossil-fueled heating technology that never even gets mentioned: residential, commercial, and industrial FURNACES.
Not suggesting that we give up on efforts like this, but 7,993,000,000 humans are not US fly anglers and just want to flip a switch and watch the lights come on.
Alex replied on Permalink
Snore. US congressmen and senators can’t do anything to change the next 50 years - unless they want to invade and raze China and India. US money is better spent actioning local issues that can be fixed rather than bloating cronyism with Quixotic save the world projects. Spending billions of tax payer money to incentivise solar and wind energy (and electric cars etc etc) are a massive waste of taxpayer resources. It may bring forward certain projects by a few years - but will permanently increase the debt and debt servicing burden of the nation. Economics / free enterprise will be the only force that can bring about successful transition to renewable energy - and that only happens if government gets the hell out of it.
Ron Dickson replied on Permalink
I’m fond of the saying, “politicians don’t create political will, they react to it.” If there is sufficient political will things can and will change over the next several decades. Thanks Hatch for publishing this video.
Thank you for your thoughts. I'd like to offer another way of looking at this. A specific concern: is the US being left behind? The world is undeniably undergoing an energy transition. Do we want to participate in the new emerging global markets? Or are we going to be inwardly focused ignoring what’s transpiring outside our borders? We are already behind China and much of Europe in clean energy markets. Why not be a leader in the new emerging global markets that will offer the US new jobs, GDP growth, and security. Further, the US maintains a significant advantage in the production of low carbon goods and services. This carbon advantage can be used for economic gain as well as a policy tool for strengthening our geopolitical position in the world.
Ron Dickson replied on Permalink
Great video....thank you for speaking up.
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