It's Getting Hot in Here...
Some ideas on what we can do about the climate crisis
In Acotland, we’re currently experiencing unusually hot weather, after the end of the driest start to a year for over fifty years. As most people will now acknowledge, abnormally hot weather like this is made much more likely by climate chaos. On the other hand, in the future, the UK may well start to experience colder weather as climate chaos disrupts the ocean currents that warm the shores of the UK and northern Europe, possibly plunging our countries into a much colder climate. So extreme heat and extreme cold, not to mention increased flooding and storms, can all be aspects of climate change, which is why increasingly people are referring to it as climate chaos.
I’m not going to go into great detail on the climate crisis, there are lots of other people out there who do that much better than I do! However, I just want to share a few ideas of what we can do to change things, both for ourselves and in a wider sense. Change can’t rely on the actions of individuals - governments and corporations all need to change, but there are things that we can do as individuals. If we take action ourselves, it stops us feeling helpless, it can inspire other people to take action and together we can then (hopefully) demonstrate to decision makers that people are concerned about the issues and that we are prepared to do something.
On a very hot day, the first thing you probably want to know is how to reduce the heat! So, if the temperature gets very high:
a) Stay indoors, if you can, during the hottest times of day
b) Stay hydrated! Make sure you drink plenty of fluids, particularly water
c) If you go out, wear loose clothing made from natural fibres, wear a hat and use sunscreen. Carry a fan with you (an old fashioned paper or fabric fan is better for the environment than a plastic, battery operated fan). Stay in the shade as much as possible.
d) Keep your home cool. If the sun is shining directly into your room, close the windows and the curtains to keep the room in shade. If however, your room faces north, the easiest way to keep it cool may be to open the windows and curtains, particularly if there’s a breeze (that’s what we do in our north-east facing rooms in Edinburgh and it works).
e) Keep an eye on older people and children or anyone with underlying health issues, who may be most at risk from heat related illness.
In the longer term, consider making changes to your home that can reduce your carbon footprint by saving electricity or by generating electricity in more eco-friendly ways. You could: install insulation to reduce your heating requirements; fit solar panelling or install a heat pump; air dry clothing rather than using a spin dryer. Avoid using air conditioning, which may be difficult as the temperatures reach record levels, but air conditioning uses a lot of electricity. Outside the home, use public transport as much as you can (we’re lucky in Edinburgh in having excellent buses, trams and good train connections to places across Scotland). Purchase ethically (eg buy locally produced goods and avoid plastics) as much as you can, though it’s not always easy, I’ve certainly noticed that a number of recently established ethical shops in Edinburgh have fallen to the wayside in the wake of the cost of living crisis.
Think about what changes you would welcome in your neighbourhood and contact your local political representatives with your views. There are lots of ways in which cities can adapt and become more liveable in a hotter climate (see this article in the Guardian.) Greenspaces are particularly important, not only for the homes they offer for nature, but because greenspaces help to reduce the heat of built up areas. Any proposal to build green infrastructure that involves destroying nature is misguided at best and dangerous at worst, we are after all living through a biodiversity crisis as well as a climate crisis (see, for example, the articles about the age of extinction on the Guardian website).
Read around the issues (the Guardian for example, has an excellent library of accessible articles on the climate crisis). Talk to people about your feelings about the climate crisis, share your worries and ideas for action - you’ll be surprised by how many people share your concerns. Many politicians think that people in general don’t care about the climate crisis, but they’re wrong. According to the Climate Conversations website, 76% of people in the US believe global warming is happening, yet 64% rarely or never talk about it. Net Zero Scotland has a useful Climate Conversation Pack to help you get started. If you’re a writer or artist, consider weaving issues around climate and biodiversity into your work. Lots of articles come at climate from a very scientific angle or a campaigning point of view, but I always enjoy reading articles that come from a more personal angle, like this one from Hari
If you’re interested in the psychological effects of climate change, you may be interested in ‘Under the Weather’ a long article from Ash Sanders that’s well worth the read. (Thanks Whitney Bauck for the link).
Of course, things also need to change at a governmental level and the way that we, as individuals, can influence that is to take part in campaigns. There are many different ways of campaigning, from email campaigns to marches to direct action. In Scotland, for example, you can campaign with Stop Climate Chaos Scotland.
What I’m Reading
Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? by Lev Parikian. The entertaining story of how the author rediscovered his passion for birds.
I’m Doing a Poetry Reading
I’ll be reading a few poems at 10 Red, tonight at The Strathmore Bar in Edinburgh’s Iona Street.
Interesting Article
Why the UK’s Butterflies are booming in 2025 - a story of much needed hope after a few years of declines for most butterflies - article on The Conversation site.
This Date Gets Earlier every Year…
Earth Overshoot Day this year is 24 July. (I’ll be writing about this next week).
Take Part
If you’re in the UK, it's time to vote for The Woodland Trust's Tree of the Year! Read about each of the nominated trees and cast your vote here.
The world doesn’t need deep sea mining, it needs a healthy ocean. Sign the Greenpeace petition to Help Stop Deep Sea Mining before it starts.
Big Butterfly Count (18 July - 10 August)
Spend 15 minutes outside counting butterflies and share your results to help build a picture of how butterflies are doing in the UK!
Love Parks Week (24 July - 2 August)
I wrote about this celebration of local greenspaces here last year.
I like the tips about windows and whether your home is north or south facing, Juliet. The past few decades, I've mostly lived in apartments that are south facing. In Summer, my wife and I do that same thing you mention by closing the curtains. It is noticeable the difference in temperature.