Cooling trends

It is cool and raining softly today. All of the seedlings and transplants in my garden seem to be enjoying the change in temperature, even the two little broccoli plants that had part of their roots pulled away in the transplant effort. The last three days were pretty warm for springtime, getting  close to 90 degrees one day. It was not good gardening weather except in the early morning before the sun was too hot to feel inspired to work.
I am not complaining though. I was reading about the hot weather in India and the 1500 or more people who have died because of the heat. The normal temperature during May and June, India's hot months, is around 104 with some days reaching 113. This year temperatures have soared over that with average temperatures being two to five degrees above normal. When you start at 104 and add 2-5 it gets pretty hot pretty fast. I can't imagine trying to manage heat over 120 as some parts of the country endured.
The old, the poor, the day laborers: these are the ones who have had the most losses. Elders have a difficult time with heat regardless of circumstances. The poor cannot afford air conditioning and often have homes where there are no trees or water ways close by. The day laborers are compelled to work even in dangerous heat because they don't get paid if they don't work which means their families go without food and in some cases water too. I read about homeless people begging for money to buy water.
The heat wave will break with the monsoon but the cycle of heatwaves that are starting earlier and lasting longer with temperatures going a few degrees higher with each new wave is not going away anytime soon. Clearly people of vast areas of Earth who have learned to live with an amazing amount of heat tolerance cannot physically adapt fast enough to survive a few degrees of change. Yet most of the people who live in the hot areas of the world are not contributing to environmental degradation in ways that contribute to climate changes. The highest consumption of fossil fuels and factory farmed meat and dairy is by people with the most ability to make choices about such use.
The signs of wealth, conspicuous consumption, driving everywhere, temperature controlled environments, meat on the table daily along with out-of-season fruits and vegetables, these are not signs of intelligence when it comes to maintaining the perfect conditions for life on Earth which evolved over millions of years.
When I read stories about people dying from heatwaves, or in the winter dying from intense cold, I wonder why people who can make different choices, don't choose more wisely choices about living within the bounds of what nature has so generously provided. Those signs of wealth I named are advertised with every movie, magazine, poster or televised event, but the long term consequences of indulging are hidden. Profit and convenience cannot remain the bottom line if humanity is to thrive into the future. It is up to individuals and communities that have the time to become educated to become responsible advocates for the people who are most vulnerable. That means changing the way we live so that we can walk our talk.

None of this is easy.