This morning, we woke up in Helena to snow. As a Midwesterner, during the month of June I forgot that snow existed. This morning it was very real and very cold. We were faced with the choice – do we cycle the scheduled 36 miles to Wolf Creek? Or do we wait out the weather?

Luckily, this choice was made for us. Because visibility was so low, our instructors agreed that we would spend another night in Helena with our gracious hosts, the Ashleys.

This choice did not prevent us from our daily interactive learning experience. We bundled up and cycled the fridged ride to the outskirts of Helena National Forest. We met with two forest managers to discuss the effects of mountain pine beetle kill on the forests. These beetles kill their host trees to reproduce – leading to a huge disruption in western forests. Beetle populations are normally kept in check by extreme cold. Recent warmer and dryer conditions in the west due to global climate change mean that more of these beetles can survive the western winters. They also can spread to higher latitudes and higher elevations where it used to be too cold. Homogeneity of the forests and a decrease in logging, couple with these climate change effects have led to a proliferation of mountain pine beetles in the West. The US Forest service recently predicted that in Colorado and southern Wyoming mountain pine beetles will likely kill the majority of the mature lodgepole pine forests within the next three to five years.

Thus, another choice to make. What should be done about this forest epidemic? The Forest Service representatives weighed with us the pros and cons of their possible action steps. There doesn't seem to be any one solution that could slow the spread with affecting another huge part of the forest. Should they just let nature take its course? After all, the mountain pine beetle is a native insect.

I see action regarding climate change is the most telling choice our society can make. Do we trust the world's leading scientists who are begging us to realize what a giant problem we have on our hands? Or do we shrug off mounds of scientific evidence to maintain the status quo? Do we care whether our children have access to the same basic resources as we did? Or do we let drought spread across half of the land surface within the coming century, as predicted by leading climate scientists? Are we willing to take action now to avoid disaster in the future? Or do we value our SUVs and McMansions more than our clean air? We are about to make a choice that greatly reflects the values of our time. I can only hope we don't wait too long to decide.

Location