A Summer Warning
Did you have outdoor plans during this past holiday? If so, how did it go? Not only was it intensely hot and humid in the northeastern U.S., but it also rained ferociously off and on. At some point during each of the four days of the International African Arts Festival which I attended in a park in Brooklyn, N.Y., it rained. I don’t ever recall experiencing such a wet summer, and it has only just begun. As someone concerned about severe weather, I have a foreboding feeling about the future of these great outdoor events.
Who doesn’t want to spend time in the great outdoors sharing love, laughter, art, and beauty with friends and family? But more and more, we’re being told to stay inside because there’s a highly-contagious virus, or a code red warning about air pollution, or the weather is too severe to even consider going out. What were some of yesterday’s major U.S. news headlines? Unfortunately, these included massive summer-season flooding in the northeast, and unusually devastating heat waves in other parts of the country. And, as recently reported in the New York Times, summer heat waves killed 61,00 people across Europe last year.
Unfortunately, I did experience heat exhaustion at that recent festival, and it took days to bounce back. Other festival-goers shared that they’d gotten soaked and feared returning since the weather was so unpredictable. Some vendors vowed not to return next year because they didn’t receive the support of festival organizers when they asked for straw and other substances to soak up the water and mud flooding their booths. On the other hand, there are artists who attend these events totally prepared for whatever may happen weatherwise; they are ready.
A scene from the recent International African Arts Festival of the artist, Marvin Sin. The continuance of these great outdoor gatherings might soon be threatened by ever-worsening climate conditions.
I’ve heard it said that, at the end of days, we won’t recognize the seasons. While I don’t think the world will end permanently, I believe it will end as we once knew it, and not in a pleasant way. Too many of us are still apathetic about the undeniable signs that we’re on a slippery climate slope. I wonder about the artisans and vendors who make or supplement their living at these outdoor events; I hope they will soon collaborate to plan indoor events.
It’s a real downer, but not talking about this is not going to make it go away. I hear alarm bells, and it’s quite daunting to ponder the new world we’re heading towards. I’d love to hear your feedback at anu@anuessentials.com. I’d like to know how you feel about climate change. Have you experienced a personal impact? Are you looking for ways to support the reversal of severe weather, etc.?