The climate crisis affects all adults. But it affects every child much more.

There I was sitting in the living room of a house near the Florida coast. It was 2004, and although I didn't know it at the time the first of four hurricanes was headed my way. Then I heard the report.

Scary.

Since I'm from California, I had no idea what to expect. I sat glued to the TV watching the weather report day after day. The TV screen showed a red ball the size of Texas relentlessly approaching the Florida coast. I couldn't outrun this looming menace. There was nowhere to go, and I didn't want to get trapped on a jammed expressway when the hurricane struck. Besides, gas stations had run out of gas, and stores were running out of food and supplies like flashlights and batteries. All I could do was sit and wait for it to strike, hoping the strong wind wouldn't break the windows and let the rain pour in and destroy everything.

Just as that big red ball got really close and I got more and more mesmerized by the TV, the wind started howling like a banshee and the lights and TV went out. Ever since I had heard the first report, I knew it was going to hit. I just didn't know how hard it would hit. In any case, this was going be a temporary disruption to my life, and then the skies would clear and things would gradually get back to normal.

Climate change as a result of global warming is a different story. There is no mesmerizing big red ball to look at on TV. But climate scientists are telling us that brutal climate changes are coming. In fact, the outer bands are already striking. Just take a look at all the strange weather that is occurring around the world. When the big red ball of climate change hits with full intensity later in this century, billions of people are going to be affected. But unlike a hurricane that strikes and moves on, intense climate change will have an impact on civilization that won't go away. And that change in the climate will be a disaster beyond imagination.

But we can act before it's too late.

To save our planet we have to keep fossil fuels in the ground.

Governments could stop this madness, but they don't. Oil companies, big banks, and other industries make massive campaign contributions to government leaders in the U.S. to preserve the status quo. And so it is that oil-- this energy-providing, planet-destroying fuel -- keeps getting pumped out of the ground every day.

But governments and industry are not the only ones to blame. We are also part of the problem. But how do we say no to oil, natural gas, and coal? The sky is blue today. Maybe technology will save us. Maybe it won't get as bad as 97% of the climate scientists tell us it will. Besides, we have jobs to drive to today. We have homes to warm tonight. And in the few moments we have to relax in our busy lives, we settle down on the couch to watch our favorite TV shows -- none of which feature a big red ball warning us of impending disaster.

In my novel EMPTY EARTH that dismal future we were warned about has arrived on our doorsteps. The story takes place in the not-too-distant future at a time when the weather is much more violent than it is today. A young couple struggles to survive as they travel across the country seeking a place of safety. Theirs is a world without grocery stores, gas stations, or much shelter of any kind. Most of the world's population has been killed off by incessant savage storms. This young couple searches desperately to find something to eat so they won't starve.

EMPTY EARTH is only a story.

Or is it a glimpse into a future no one wants to think about?

Question: To whom does the future belong?

Answer: It belongs to our children and grandchildren and untold generations that will follow after them.

Question: What kind of world will we leave them?

Answer: If we want to leave them a world worth living in, we have to turn as quickly as possible to wind, solar, and other clean sources of energy.

Our children and grandchildren may some day ask us if we made any efforts to be a part of the solution.

How will we reply?

Rick McManus, who lives in North Hollywood, California, wants to see the world remain a beautiful place for everyone now residing on this planet and for untold generations to come. His novel EMPTY EARTH is available on Amazon.com. His latest novel ATHENA: A TEENAGER FIGHTS THE CLIMATE CRISIS is also available on Amazon.com