LYRICS
Verse 1
Raindrops on the window
Make me wonder
Will Mother be a widow
As men rape and plunder
Chorus:
Teardrops from the sky
Asking why
Watching her children cry
Cry, Mother, cry
Verse 2
Rain upon the windowpane
Reflecting on the pain
Mother’s distress, can’t contain
Life’s value, what’s to gain?
(Chorus)
Bridge:
Raindrops on the window
Prompt me to ponder
From extreme wet to extreme dry
Will we sink, will we fry?
Cry, Mother, cry
Verse 3
Rain on the rooftop’s beat
Growing in repeat
Mother, halt this endless feat
Intensifying with each heartbeat
(Chorus)
Outro:
Raindrops on the window
Lead me to reflect
Will we come to comprehend
Tipping points’ effect?
… or… Cry, Mother, cry?
- Raindrops-on-the-Window-Part-I.mp3 (unplugged to save energy)
- Raindrops-on-the-Window-Part-II.mp3
- Raindrops-on-the-Window-Part-II-Instrumental.mp3
- Raindrops-on-the-Window-LH-Caasio-WK-3500.MID (Left Hand / also controlled Korg PS60)
- Raindrops-on-the-Window-RH-Yamaha-PSR-740.MID (Right Hand / also controlled microKorg and miniNOVA vocorder)
Chords: C D G / G F#m Em / Em F#m G / C Em / C B7 Em; Part II Ambient / Rock Ballad @ 66 Beats Per Minute
Instrumentation: Vocals (TC-Helicon VOICELIVE and MiniNova Vocorder), Ibanez Acoustic Guitar (AW54CE), Keyboards (Korg PS60, Casio WK-3500, Yamaha PSR-740, MiniNova, MicroKorg)
ABOUT THE SONG
This song serves as a poignant commentary on the devastating impact of climate change, portraying the Earth as a grieving mother witnessing the destruction wrought by humanity’s actions.
In the opening verse, raindrops on the window symbolize the tears of Mother Earth as she contemplates the uncertain fate of her inhabitants. The imagery of Mother potentially becoming a widow highlights the threat posed by human exploitation and disregard for the environment.
The chorus reinforces the theme of sorrow and despair, as the Earth’s tears fall from the sky and her children suffer. It evokes a sense of helplessness in the face of escalating climate crisis.
Verse 2 delves deeper into the emotional turmoil experienced by Mother Earth, as she reflects on the pain caused by human greed and exploitation. The questioning of life’s value underscores the destructive consequences of prioritizing profit over the well-being of the planet.
The bridge prompts introspection and contemplation, as raindrops on the window lead the narrator to ponder the extremes of climate change and the potential catastrophic outcomes for humanity.
Verse 3 continues the metaphor of rain as a reflection of Mother Earth’s distress, emphasizing the intensifying impact of climate change with each passing moment. The urgent plea for Mother to halt this destruction highlights the need for immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The outro leaves listeners with a sense of introspection and uncertainty, as raindrops on the window prompt reflection on humanity’s role in exacerbating the climate crisis and the need to comprehend the tipping points that could lead to irreversible damage.
Overall, this song serves as a powerful call to action, urging listeners to acknowledge the profound impact of climate change and take responsibility for preserving the planet for future generations.
ABOUT THE SCIENCE
Human induced climate change is an exponential component of an unordered system (chaos theory). That means global warming is accelerating at a rapid rate in a complex way.
“We are not saying that the Earth’s temperature is just going to rise. In general, as energy is added to a system, the fluctuations in the system increase. So, we expect more storms, more droughts, more wildfires, more floods, more fluctuations of all kinds. What we are saying is that weather conditions will become more volatile due to the impact of humans,” said Mukherjee and Brouse. (2004)
Climate change is primarily driven by the escalation of thermal energy affecting biogeophysical and socio-economic systems. While biogeophysical factors can be studied using math, physics, and historical records, socio-economic systems pose greater challenges due to the unpredictable consequences of human behavior and inexplicable consumer choices, exacerbating tipping points and feedback loops.
The Age of Loss and Damage is a new way of thinking about economics by combining economics, climate science, statistics, and physics. Until now, economic models have been unfit to capture the full extent of climate damage. Traditionally, “integrated assessment models” (IAMs) were used to forecast “shock” events. IAMs use “quadratic function” to calculate GDP losses by squaring the temperature change, yet ignore other methods (such as the exponential function) that are better suited for rapid change. “Climate change is fundamentally different to other shocks because once it has hit, it doesn’t go away,” said Thierry Philipponnat, author of a report by Finance Watch, a Brussels-based public interest NGO on financial issues. “And if the fundamental assumption is flawed, all the rest makes little sense — if any.”
Unfortunately, even scientists are failing to see, let alone forecast, the rapid acceleration in climate change. Due to their complexity, the impacts of the Domino Effect are being underestimated. The Domino Effect is also known as “tipping cascades” in climate science. Cascading impacts in relation to tipping points include cascading impacts across biogeophysical and social systems. Until recently, scientist have been drastically underestimating the social-ecological systems. The University of Exeter reports, “There is a notable lack of topic clusters dedicated to how humans will be impacted by climate-related tipping cascades.” 2023 was a wake-up call to social-ecological scientists. The record breaking physical and economical impacts could be felt worldwide. The record warming year was seventeen times greater than any other record increase in history. Typically, record-breaking temperatures are measured in 100th degrees. There were also 200 consecutive days of record-breaking temperatures. Usually, there are one or two record breaking days in a row. The increase in intensity and frequency of record-breaking heat requires forecasting models to be recast.
As flow velocities go up due to climate change, force and damage scale as square of the velocities.
How Do Pollution and Climate Change Kill People?
Pollution and climate change can have severe health impacts, leading to the loss of lives through various direct and indirect mechanisms. An overview of how pollution and climate change contribute to adverse health outcomes:
Pollution:
- Air Pollution:
- Respiratory Issues: Inhalation of air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3), can cause or exacerbate respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Cardiovascular Effects: Air pollution is linked to cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes. Fine particulate matter can enter the bloodstream, affecting the cardiovascular system.
- Water Pollution:
- Waterborne Diseases: Contaminated water sources can harbor pathogens, leading to waterborne diseases like cholera, dysentery, and gastrointestinal infections.
- Chemical Exposure: Industrial pollutants, agricultural runoff, and untreated sewage can introduce harmful chemicals into water supplies, posing long-term health risks.
- Soil Pollution:
- Food Contamination: Polluted soil can lead to the contamination of crops with heavy metals, pesticides, and other harmful substances. Consuming contaminated food can result in health issues, including neurological problems and cancer.
- Noise Pollution:
- Stress and Mental Health: Chronic exposure to high levels of noise can contribute to stress, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Long-term stress can impact mental health and, indirectly, physical well-being.
Climate Change:
- Extreme Heat:
- Heat-Related Illnesses: Increasing temperatures, especially during heatwaves, can cause heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, leading to organ failure and death.
- Extreme Weather Events:
- Injuries and Fatalities: Hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other extreme weather events associated with climate change can cause injuries and fatalities directly. These events may also displace populations, leading to increased vulnerability.
- Vector-Borne and Infectious Diseases:
- Changing Disease Patterns: Climate change can alter the distribution and prevalence of vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, and Lyme disease. These diseases can lead to severe health complications and death. Climate change can influence the geographic range and seasonality of infectious diseases, potentially leading to the emergence of new health threats. “The magnitude of the vulnerability when you think about one or two diseases — okay, sure, we can deal with that,” professor Camilo Mora said. “But when you’re talking about 58% of the diseases, and 58% of those diseases can be affected or triggered in 1,000 different ways. So that, to me, was also revealing of the fact that we’re not going to be able to adapt to climate change.”
- Air Quality Impacts:
- Worsening Respiratory Conditions: Changes in climate patterns can affect air quality, contributing to increased respiratory issues and exacerbating existing health conditions.
- Food and Water Scarcity:
- Malnutrition and Dehydration: Climate change can impact agricultural productivity and water availability. This may lead to food and water scarcity, causing malnutrition, dehydration, and related health problems.
- Mental Health Impact:
- Psychological Stress: The environmental changes and uncertainties associated with climate change can contribute to mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Almost all survivors of climate-related disasters suffer from mental distress experiencing PTSD. Of those who have not experienced climate disasters, over two-thirds of U.S. adults (68%) report having climate change anxiety.
It’s important to note that vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing health conditions, are often disproportionately affected by the health impacts of pollution and climate change. Additionally, global efforts to mitigate these impacts and transition to more sustainable practices are crucial for protecting human health and well-being.
* Our climate model employs chaos theory to comprehensively consider human impacts and projects a potential global average temperature increase of 9℃ above pre-industrial levels.
What Can I Do?
There are numerous actions you can take to contribute to saving the planet. Each person bears the responsibility to minimize pollution, discontinue the use of fossil fuels, reduce consumption, and foster a culture of love and care. Be a butterfly and affect the world. The Butterfly Effect illustrates that a small change in one area can lead to significant alterations in conditions anywhere on the globe. Hence, the frequently heard statement that a butterfly in China can cause a hurricane in the Atlantic.
Here is a list of additional actions you can take.