When winter hits, it gets to the point where I have forgotten the summer months full of days spent inside next to a fan, hiding until night falls, too afraid to see the sun. Nowadays, it seems more than likely that heatwaves will be hitting our shores a lot more frequently than before, and that is a future that I am not looking forward to.
I never used to enjoy the summer as a child. My birthday is in August, so most of my friends would be on holiday when it got to my party, and I would usually have to send the limited invitations to my own siblings. I was bored when there was no school as I would be stuck for ideas of what to do, and, to make matters worse, I was an avid sun-burner. As I got older, I thought it wouldn’t matter as much any more, but this summer has confirmed my belief that heat is the absolute worst.
It is very difficult to deny the existence of global warming when the outside temperature is almost the same as inside our bodies, especially on our Northern hemisphere island. Down in Southampton, the air feels so much more moist than the Midlands freshness I am used to, and it makes going outside almost unbearable. Even our living room is out of bounds during the day unless you’re willing to be baked and stuck to the leather sofa until the evening. Days that would be spent outdoors going for a walk, or biking, or even just sitting in the park, are out of the question, and it’s unlikely that this will ever really improve.
To try and reduce the effects of the insane heat, we use more energy to keep ourselves cool. When we use an electric fan or open the fridge too often and it overheats, we end up contributing to the global pollution that heats up the earth in the first place. While we’re reminded that most emissions are created by large corporations, it’s hard not to feel guilty when your actions are contributing even slightly to increasing the uncomfortable circumstances.
While other countries have to deal with much worse prolonged heat, it doesn’t completely take away from the fact that it is not too great for us either. It’s not just the heat that makes these few months unbearable, it’s the overwhelming realisation that things will only get worse from here, and that is a very scary fact to face. Just the difference we’ve experienced during our lifetime is enormous, and will only grow exponentially unless drastic action is taken.
The overbearing psychology of excessive heat makes the physical negatives even worse, and makes me wish for a reverse hibernation so that I can hide somewhere cool and keep my body sweatless until autumn rolls around. I appreciate the sun for keeping our planet functioning, but if it wouldn’t mind, can it stop being so hot – for just a second?
