In the spirit of a new year, I’ve been playing a mental game. I imagine the technology of the future and wonder: What techno-gadget will leave those of us weaned on email and touch screens feeling clumsy and frustrated? Will movies project directly onto our retinas? Will we drive cars that move up and down in addition to forwards and backwards? With advanced stratospheric devices, will weather forecasts extend accurately five years into the future? Only time will tell.
But at the current time, here we are, two weeks into 2012 and Tahoe/Truckee is bare bones. We have no snow. While fall-like activities abound and are great fun, everyone feels the pinch. There is an acute feeling of anxiety as we hold our collective breath.
It begs the question, what’s in the future weather-wise? If global warming causes ocean levels to rise and snow levels to dissipate, this dry spell may become not the anomaly but the norm. What would that mean for the ski-based tourist industry upon which Tahoe/Truckee is based? What other industries will rise to the surface? Will all the Bay Area folk flee their waterlogged city to live in the crisp mountain air?
Only time will tell.
Email me your thoughts on the future at melegado@moonshineink.com.
Mayumi Elegado
