Lessons
from the Heat Wave
For
two nights over the Labor Day weekend, my family
slept outdoors, in tents set up in our backyard.
This was not just for fun; it was simply too hot
inside. Our old house in the Berkeley hills of
Northern California, with its massive picture
windows and lack of cooling, wasn’t built for
extreme temperatures. Even at night, all the rooms
were uncomfortably warm. During the day this week,
we set up work stations in the relative cool of
the basement. In the evenings, to keep energy
demand low, we have been having dinner by candle
and lamplight.
Temperatures have
cooled somewhat in the Bay Area now, but much of
the US West is blanketed in heat. Farmworkers are
collapsing in fields, delivery drivers are
tripping and burning their hands on the asphalt,
and wildfires are raging once again. Outside the
United States, millions of Pakistani people have
been rendered homeless by the monstrous floods,
while many of Europe’s rivers have shrunk to
alarming levels.
Global warming is
hitting us all differently, and some of us have
been luckier than others at riding out its
impacts. But this heat wave was a punishing
reminder that climate chaos is here. How can we
ride out this crisis in a way that is just and
equitable?
In all these years of reporting
on the state of our changing world, the only clear
answer I’ve found is this: by building community,
by cooperating. And though even that simple
solution may feel far away sometimes, we saw a
good example this week, when people across
California cut down on power use in response to
emergency alerts. During peak demand hours, a
simple request, followed by a simple gesture,
prevented blackouts in the state. It’s a small
start, but definitely something to keep in mind.
Most people want to do the right thing. And many
of them will, if given the chance. I’ll take that.
I’ll take anything that offers us hope during
these difficult times.
What examples of
community and cooperation have you witnessed
recently? Do share, we’d love to hear from
you.
 Maureen Nandini
Mitra
Editor, Earth Island
Journal
Photo by Andrey Grinkevich/Unsplash
|
