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.
 

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