In the “London’s glory” thread below, a commenter said that if she hadn’t been born in Texas and her parents weren’t there, she’d move to Oregon. Everything’s brown in much of Texas from extreme drought, and this past summer was hell on earth. I was talking to a friend who lives in Austin, and he was saying that the thought of staying in that part of the country long term is suddenly a lot more problematic, given the projections for the drying-out of the Southwest because of global warming.

This summer, Julie and I were really glad we weren’t living in Dallas, given the brutal heat and the drought. Even while we were living in Dallas, I’d wondered how tenable it would be to live there long-term, given the projections for heat and drought as Texas and the Southwest permanently heat up over the course of this century, and water becomes more scarce. As much as I like Texas and Texans, it would be hard to think about relocating there today, absent some compelling personal reason.

If you’ve seen the projections for climate change in your part of the world for this century, and if you believe them, would you consider moving because of it? I’m sorry in a way that we’re moving back to Louisiana, where it’s almost as hot as Dallas, though wetter. But Louisiana has suffered drought as well, though not as bad as the one in Texas. I like the climate in Pennsylvania a lot, even the winter, though my Raynaud’s Syndrome has gotten so bad now we probably wouldn’t have been able to stay here too many more winters. That, and my chronic, at times debilitating, allergies, which I never had till I moved to Philly, makes us climate refugees, if not climate change refugees.

Last week, I finally shook a month-long sinus infection and constant weakness after my doctor put me on allergy meds, which I think gave my immune system enough of a boost to fight back against the cold and the rest of it. I had five days of feeling good … and I’ve awakened this morning feeling like histamines are enjoying a Black Friday with my immune system, and I don’t have the strength to do much of anything. This, despite the Zyrtec, despite the Flonase. Clearly, Pennyslvania and I are due for a divorce.

What’s the climate supposed to be like over the next few decades where you live? Would you consider moving because of it? Why or why not?