Comments | gwendally: In which I sit in the Atlantic

gwendally

In which I sit in the Atlantic

Jul 22, 2011 22:54

It was brutally hot today. It was over 90 by 9 AM. After that I stopped paying attention, but I've heard it hit 100 here on our little island in the north Atlantic. That's beyond bizarre. I've never been on the island on a day this hot. We started the day by installing an air conditioner in the Octogenarian bedroom. I brought a table in and ( Read more... )

climate change, new england, aging parents, island life

Comments 9

lds July 23 2011, 03:43:53 UTC

Have you noticed, the people who very loudly proclaim on cold days that global warming is obviously disproved, are very very quiet these days?

roasted_beets July 23 2011, 16:00:05 UTC

Like it doesn't get hot every summer.

gwendally July 23 2011, 16:11:35 UTC

It hit 100 yesterday and made the record books.

Yes, it gets hot every summer.

It doesn't get THIS hot. The hottest it has ever been in any July in record was 100 degrees, yesterday's record.

roasted_beets July 23 2011, 16:25:05 UTC

And in Birch Island, British Columbia yesterday it was 59° when it's normally 85°.

"It's just weather - not climate."

Thread 6

thatgirljj July 23 2011, 18:07:01 UTC

I think having that air conditioner today may have been a matter of life and death.

This is widely recognized as fact in California.

We regularly have temperatures over 100, and when it gets over 110, or if there are power disruptions there's an organized effort to get old people into community centers. By bus or paratransport if required. The elderly sadly often don't have enough money to run their AC. It's kind of like heating oil for y'all back east.

az2tx July 24 2011, 04:18:05 UTC

We spend 4 months of the year over 100 degrees here. As a matter of policy, the electric company cannot shut off power in the summer without first making contact with the customer. Our local aging task force started a summer fan drive to deliver to elderly residents. It can, in fact, be a matter of life or death.

forestmaster July 24 2011, 18:35:54 UTC

Was talking with some others about temperatures and AC the last few days... I think it doesn't have to be a matter of life and death, but that many have lost touch with their environment. We expect climate controlled comfort and have lost, to some extent or another, the desire (or maybe for some ability) to deal with discomfort... getting more adjusted to warmer and cooler weather as it occurs. People work outside in 100 degree heat and survive. Old people could sit on their porches every day and watch the world go by, but most people spend very little time outdoors/in nature, regardless of the weather or time of year, as they go from climate controlled house to vehicle to place of business, work, or worship. The more time one spends outside, the more likely one would be to adjust to a wider range of temperatures... Glad you got to enjoy some time at the beach anyway. I have met many younger people shockingly fragile or deliberately/ignorantly so as well... [wry grin/sigh ( ... )