Climate Chronicles Podcast | Season 2, Episode 4
Edited transcript
Introduction
Host:
When a major blizzard hits New York, most people see chaos. But today’s storyteller, Marlen, from Mexico, saw magic.
Moving to New York City from a place with no snow, her three-hour trek through a blizzard became a moment of pure wonder.
Today, Marlen reflects on warming winters, climate change, and why we need the cold to keep our spirits and our planet alive.
Let’s listen to her story.
Marlen’s Story
Marlen:
Twenty inches of snow fell during the blizzard, affecting transportation. Buses, subways, and taxis were canceled. On the avenues, cars were stranded in the snow.
That day, when I finished my workday, it was already night. Outside, I saw that my entire neighborhood was covered in snow.
My first instinct was to enjoy that sensation. So, to get back home, I needed to walk for more than three hours.
Step by step, my brain imagined that I was a small animal living at the North Pole.
On the way home, I played. I made snowballs, made a snow angel, wrote my name, and threw myself into the snow many times. I had never seen so much snow in my life.
I remember that my coworkers felt frustrated. They were angry because they couldn’t find transportation to get home. They didn’t want to walk. They didn’t enjoy watching the snow fall.
They waited more than two hours for a car to arrive and take them home.
The next day, there was chaos in the city. The snow was dirty, and snow had accumulated on the streets. People complained about all the problems caused by just one day of snow.
In the years that followed, because of climate change, every winter was different.
In some years, the days looked like spring, not winter. My winter clothes stayed in the closet because the days weren’t cold.
In other years, snow didn’t show up. I didn’t see a single snowflake fall.
So, if the snow doesn’t fall, the city loses the opportunity to reserve fresh water for the dry months.
On the other hand, we lose a relaxing and creative time. We don’t allow ourselves to reconnect with nature and experience those emotional moments.
I wish that climate change could reverse and the cold winters would return. I want to see lots of snow again, with all the chaos that comes with it.
Because snowy days contribute to global climate regulation.
I hope that people take to the streets and spend time playing and connecting with the beautiful gifts that our planet gives us.
My final comment is: If we lose the winter season, the cold, and the snow, we might also lose Santa Claus!
Closing
Host:
Thank you so much for listening. We hope these stories inspire you, just as they inspired us.
This podcast is part of a project created by New Women New Yorkers and was made possible thanks to the financial support of Con Edison.
We are deeply grateful for their belief in the power of immigrant women’s stories and for helping us uplift their voices and dreams.