July 22, 2013 – News stories about the recent heat wave in
England may not, at first hearing, sound all that alarming to American
ears. Temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s
constitute a very normal part of American summers, particularly in the middle
of the country. Grassfires measured in
“football pitches” may cause quizzical looks, and not much more. The fact remains, however, that nearly 800
people have died because of the ongoing abnormally high temperatures.
First of all, anyone living at the latitude of the British
Isles is simply not accustomed to hot temperatures. It is true that the blood of people living in
northern climates thickens, while the opposite occurs to people who live in the
south. We can be grateful this is true –
it’s a natural defense against becoming too cold or too hot. When “normal” gets stood on its head – and we
are all becoming acquainted with how that feels – what “normally” works,
doesn’t.
It’s always surprising to me that people who smoke need to
be told not to dispose of their lit cigarettes by throwing them into dry
grass. That goes for Americans at least
as much as everybody else. Out West,
this simple act can result in thousands of acres of forest burning. The English are being shocked into awareness
by the scores of fires burning in their country right now. They’re small, when compared to our western
fires, but dangerously close to the city.
Fire is fire the world over: it’s
frightening, it’s polluting, and it can be very destructive.
If you’ve never been lucky enough to visit England, it’s a
magical place. London is the City of
Cities, offering anything you could possibly want. The history, majestic buildings, and endless
opportunities for exploration could fill a lifetime. The countryside is gorgeous and green, the
walking paths opening onto idyllic views that are never closed off merely
because they belong to somebody.
Everyone can enjoy them.
England is green because it usually enjoys lots of
rain. Indeed, for Englanders, that is
what makes England – England. Drought
and high temperatures are different enough to be very unwelcome. I believe I’m correct in saying that air
conditioning is unknown in most parts.
The part of me that has lived in Texas and North Carolina chuckles a
little bit when I see articles in British newspapers about how to dress in the
heat. Wearing relatively little probably
feels very odd to them!
Dealing with highs in the 90’s (it may get up to 95F this
week in London) isn’t easy for anybody.
Believe it or not, a newly-poured road in the city of Cambridge has
begun to melt, collecting in a large wave at the side of the road! An average of 21 wildfires are burning every
day. Apparently most have been started
by cigarette butts or barbecues (I’d never heard of a disposable barbecue
before, but it seems they have them in England). Anyone unacquainted with the relatively
recent spate of terrible flooding in England needs to realize that this small
country is being battered by everything Mother Nature has in her bag of tricks.
What happens next is up to each one of us.
With thanks to The
Telegraph (UK).
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