Not too long ago, I made a post talking about the excess rain in Nigeria and how it was leading to heavy floods, even in places that previously didn’t flood. And in that post, I also mentioned the rising heat in the West. One of the most trending topics online nowadays is about how hot Europe currently is. During the day, people are getting cooked both inside their homes and outside them.
In a climate designed specifically for cold weather, they’re not having it easy at all. The majority of their buildings are designed to trap heat, not release it. So, many times, inside could be hotten even than outside. It’s so bad that people are suffering from heat stroke sme people are drowning just because they’re trying to cool off in pools and tubs. That’s just how bad it is. And this is not the first time such a thing has happened; it’s been going on for a few years, but this year seems to be the one with more prominence.
But then, one of the things that makes this heatwave so devastating is their culture surrounding air conditioning. Having an air conditioner in the house is enough to counter whatever heat Mother Nature may choose to bring their way. But as I mentioned before, their climate was just so cold that it couldn’t justify having an air conditioner, especially when you considered how expensive it would be to buy it, install it, maintain it, and also keep it running (electric bills). So for them, it just wasn’t worth it.
But then, climate change being what it is, over the decades, things have changed so much. And now, the UK is proving to be just as hot as any country in West Africa, and it’s catastrophic. You’d think that people would be looking for means to get AC units so as to avoid the heat. But many aren’t. Just not yet.
Not sure about this, but I watched a video online where some environmental activists were speaking against the use of ACs because it produces emissions that could be harmful to the environment. Some were willing to endure it and toughen it out. Even though people were dying on a daily basis. But can emissions really be a valid reason for not using an AC?
An AC can not pollute the environment more than a car, a bus, or a plane. Or the industries scattered around the country. Every single thing man does on earth is designed to generate waste, and those wastes will always have an effect on the environment, especially when they compound.
Well, I don’t really know. I’m not in the UK, so I don’t know for sure what’s going on there. All I know is what I see on social media. So, I could be wrong. This is just me saying what’s on my mind. But then, nature being nature, she gives us a sick irony.
We’re currently getting so much rain than we bargained for; many people are just wishing for the dry season, with all its harsh sunlight and heat. I’m sure people in the UK would be praying for this kind of rain we’re getting here. People are losing everything to the rain and floods here, and over there, people are being lost to the heat.
Well, would you look at that.
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