Newspaper headlines recently have been a strange mix of fear and festivities.
The UK is gearing up for record-breaking temperatures of up to 40 degrees predicted in the coming days.
Experts warn this could lead to potentially thousands of deaths.
Meanwhile, the supermarket shelves are being stripped of BBQ supplies and newspapers are printing the best cocktail recipes to enjoy as the country burns.
These mixed-messages have annoyed a lot of people, and understandably so.
Climate change is real and its catastrophic effects are well-established across the globe.
Despite the warm words and self-congratulatory speeches from politicians gathered for the COP26 summit in Glasgow last year, there’s growing concern that leaders haven’t fully grasped the scale of the problem.
And the pace with which they need to act.
It’s for that reason I can’t muster the energy to be annoyed at people who are planning paddling pools and sangria this week, rather than gluing themselves to buildings in protest at government inaction on climate change.
For too long, the burden to act has been put on ordinary people.
We diligently do our recycling, take public transport where possible and work to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics.
And that’s worthwhile and necessary.
But as long as global leaders dither on the big stuff, it’s about as much use as chucking ice-cubes at a burning building.
The UK is not built for 40 degree heat
Some have asked why we’re fretting about temperatures in the mid-30s in the UK, when on holiday that’s a forecast that many would be delighted by.
The reason is this: our rainy wee island is not meant to be 40 degrees, not even in summer.
Our infrastructure isn’t designed to mitigate these kinds of temperatures, as it is in countries where blistering heat is the norm.
A BBC report on Monday suggested that heat-related deaths could triple over the coming decades, unless the government acts on the problem of homes (particularly new builds) overheating.
Experts have been warning that this is a looming problem for the best part of 10 years.
Yet more than half a million new homes liable to overheating have been built in that time.
Climate change all but absent from Conservative leadership contest
Addressing the causes of climate change and mitigating its effects comes down to hard cash and political will.
The current crop of Conservative MPs battling to become our next Prime Minister haven’t inspired much confidence that they will offer either.
Just 4% of Tory members polled care about climate change – meanwhile the leadership race is morphing Tory ideology towards the Trump agenda … pic.twitter.com/eUWerKXI9u
— Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) July 18, 2022
Despite the red warning for heat for large parts of the UK in the coming days, climate change has barely featured in the leadership contest.
The consensus among the candidates seems to be that yes, climate change is real. But we can only address it if our action comes at a bargain price.
This is unsurprising when you consider that a recent poll by YouGov for The Times found that tackling climate change is the lowest priority for Conservative members in a list of ten policy areas.
I wonder if the television debates planned for later in the week, when the UK will have experienced the most in-your-face example of climate change to date, will provoke a change of tone.
I certainly hope so.
In the past four years, the U.K has experienced:
* Hottest summer
* First winter day above 20C
* Hottest day
* Hottest Aug day
* Wettest Feb
* Driest spring
* First ‘extreme red’ warning for heat.Yet, not one politician with a hope of becoming PM will acknowledge the crisis.
— Jon Burke FRSA 🌍 (@jonburkeUK) July 15, 2022
As a pale-skinned, sun-hater, I find myself in the odd position of being glad that in Scotland, temperatures aren’t predicted to go above 30.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be utterly miserable and likely swearing a lot over the next few days.
But imagine being in England and trying to cope with a 40 degree day.
No amount of shade and iced drinks could make that bearable.
How to survive the heatwave
While we wait for our political leaders to get a grip, there are things we can do to make the next few days a bit easier.
Keeping windows and curtains closed during the day helps keep your home cool.
That’s why I spent the morning skulking about like a crabbit vampire, trying to ensure each room is in total darkness.
The midday sun is obviously a no-go, especially for small children and red heads.
I also saw a good tip on TikTok for water bottles.
You fill them half-way and then lie them on their side in the freezer, before topping up with water.
@leanneclifford3 Icy cold water prep for the kids! #icewater #fyp #foryoupage #toptip #mumhack #mumsoftiktok @Stacey solomon
That will be particularly useful in the coming days.
Finding a bag of ice in a supermarket will be as unlikely as getting antibacterial hand gel was during the first few days of lockdown.
My daughter is friends with various pets in our street. So we’ll be putting out a water dish for them to enjoy.
The hot weather is tough enough for us, imagine how unpleasant it must be for creatures covered in fur.
Later, when dusk falls and the air is slightly cooler, it will be nice to sit outside.
It’s perfectly possible to be worried about the effects of climate change and angry at the inaction of our politicians while enjoying a cold beer in the garden.
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