We need winter. Not just for the water cycle or for killing pests, but for the soul. The tilt forces us to slow down. It forces the natural world to store energy rather than spend it. It is the reset button. It is the inhale before the exhale of spring.
If winter were an invader, we could fight it. We could build walls. We could burn enough fuel to push it back. But you cannot fight a shadow. You cannot negotiate with geometry. what causes winter