To think to see the destruction of a Canadian village as a warning of what climate change could do

[Getmoveon14]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57678054
High temperatures and heat-related deaths were bad enough, but when the town all burns down it is a pretty worrying picture. I know they haven't yet proved it's due to global warming, but it's looking pretty likely. I'm surprised the story isn't being given more coverage (in the UK) Maybe it's a wake-up call that the effects of global warming aren't that far off.

I think this is what we can expect. Sorry. Scientists have been warning us for years. We haven’t listened. Our children are going to have a really tough time

Yes I think it's very scary. If that "heat bomb" had been a bit further north, the Arctic would be melting. As it is, I wonder whether some of the permafrost in Alaska is melting; I know it's further north but even if it's 35 rather than 45 degrees, that's hot.

I wonder what it will actually take to part people from their SUVs and realise, finally, that cyclists are not the enemy.

I'm not surprised that the TV etc here in the UK aren't making as much of it as they should, as big business and the government all like to talk a good story, but when it actually comes to making changes that will cost them money, they're really not interested, I think you could call it a case of 'fiddling as Rome burns'!

Yabu. Uñfortunately I think it’s not got much coverage because there’s been so much focus on Boris’s latest nonsense.

Talking for years about change,sadly it's still the same,so the old world says why don't you take notice of me?? My gran used to say man won't be happy till everything has gone,& he still won't be happy when it is,,I truly think this is one major wake up call, seriously glad I haven't just entered this place,because it's going to get worse we just DON'T learn

The effects of global warming aren't 'that far off', they're here. I can't remember the last day when I haven't worried about it. It's hard when you feel powerless to change things, but we should try. We'll see lots more on this in the run up to COP26 in Glasgow and what the UK us doing. There will be loads of stuff going on in the lead up to that so worth checking out if you can get involved in anything happening local to you if that's of interest.

It's all shit, greed and evil has destroyed everything.

In Canada mass graves of indigenous children who were forced into Catholic schools have recently been found and continue to be found.

America spends 20 billion dollars yearly for air conditioning for its troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Saudi Arabia continues to bomb Yemen causing mass death and famine.

Israel forces Palestinians to demolish their own homes and uproots years old olive trees to create a biblical theme park.

These are all tangible evils, climate change doesnt seem as immediately destructive despite the signs all around us. The way the world is run nothing will change.

It's terrible isn't it, I feel so powerless We were due to spend a night of a roadtrip in Lytton last year, but covid prevented us from going. We're just starting to rebook for next year and trying to give our business to the same places, but I guess where we were staying in Lytton doesn't even exist now. There is of course the dreadful irony that by flying to Canada we would be making things even worse

We live in this part of the world, and the past several days have been terrifying

Happened here last year too (I’m in Washington state and we also have extreme heat now). The town of Malden in Washington was almost completely destroyed last year by wildfire. This is how close I came to the wildfire driving home one day last September.

@Getmoveon14

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57678054 High temperatures and heat-related deaths were bad enough, but when the town all burns down it is a pretty worrying picture. I know they haven't yet proved it's due to global warming, but it's looking pretty likely. I'm surprised the story isn't being given more coverage (in the UK) Maybe it's a wake-up call that the effects of global warming aren't that far off.

Wild fires happen in Western USA/Canada, it’s a fact of life.

But the bigger issue is that this region isn’t prepared for those kind of temps and many homes won’t even have air conditioning so it’s going to be very bad for elderly in particular.

Probably most homes are designed to trap heat so just really going to need a rethink of past assumptions (like Texas going into a historic deep freeze, just extremes at both ends and construction projects will need to take note)

For some context it was 47c outside here yesterday and it felt like the air was on fire. It was very hot but I’ve not been in such heat before. The air was so hot your body /me legs were burning not from the sun but from the hot air. It was that hot. It’s sad to see that town burn down although it think it’s a random thing that happened so yeah I don’t think it will get that hot again. That’s my opinion.

Agreed.
But voters do not want to pay more taxes to stop it and they vote accordingly.
The cost of climate change will be far greater than the cost of all wars accumulated.

@Redrosesandsunsets

For some context it was 47c outside here yesterday and it felt like the air was on fire. It was very hot but I’ve not been in such heat before. The air was so hot your body /me legs were burning not from the sun but from the hot air. It was that hot. It’s sad to see that town burn down although it think it’s a random thing that happened so yeah I don’t think it will get that hot again. That’s my opinion.

Summers are like that in the Middle East but we’ve got plenty of air conditioning!!

TheRosesOfSuccess

You are not powerless. You can stop flying to go on holiday for one thing.

Redrosesandsunsets

It’s sad to see that town burn down although it think it’s a random thing that happened so yeah I don’t think it will get that hot again. That’s my opinion.

Please can you clarify how your opinion has been formed? It seems plucked out of thin air.

The scientific consensus worldwide is that this stuff will be happening more and more. What’s your expertise that leads you to say this is a one off random event?

@Leshan

Agreed. But voters do not want to pay more taxes to stop it and they vote accordingly. The cost of climate change will be far greater than the cost of all wars accumulated.

It's not just paying taxes it changes in behaviour needed. How many people preach about climate change whilst increasingly the world's population? I didn't see much support for China's excellent one child policy when it still existed. Foreign travel and immigration is encouraged especially by some of the most vocal about climate change and those two are not exactly carbon free. Look at how much support SUV s get from people on here. As a motorcyclist I hate them but it is women mainly that buy SUVs. So yes big unpopular changes are required not some token taxation like air passenger duty.

Summers are like that in the Middle East but we’ve got plenty of air conditioning!!

do you realise that is contributing to the problem?

www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/29/the-air-conditioning-trap-how-cold-air-is-heating-the-world
warmer temperatures lead to more air conditioning; more air conditioning leads to warmer temperatures. The problem posed by air conditioning resembles, in miniature, the problem we face in tackling the climate crisis. The solutions that we reach for most easily only bind us closer to the original problem

PineapplePower

Summers are like that in the Middle East but we’ve got plenty of air conditioning!!

What about food growth? How does that happen there? I’ve never been.

What about people whose work is outside?

Interested to see how people do/can adapt as looks like people are hell bent on continuing with their selfish desires rather than protect the future for their children

Of course it’s not just heat. And those places that already get that hot will get hotter. Mass migration. Food shortages. Social unrest. Global instability. Argh! Why can’t we just change? We have just proven to ourselves that we are capable of massive significant changes. We can do it. Why won’t we?

Sithee

Sorry to hear that. Hope you and yours are ok.

I think there’s a great deal of denial about the fact that we are pretty much f**ed. Climate change is going to make Covid look like a walk in the park.

It's a scary thought that this will be us in the not too distant future. At least it is happening in the west for a change which means it does get reported about and hopefully it will inspire some to park up their SUV's for good, stop eating meat and take trains when going on holiday rather than flying or driving. That would be an excellent start to try and at least slow this down. If not for us, for our children's sake.

Then for those who are saying, at least we have air con, isn't that a huge part of the problem? We shouldn't live in those climates where you can't survive without it. Las Vegas, Palm Springs etc should have never been built. All the air con usage is also destroying the planet.

We need to focus on government level action not individual or we are really not going to make any difference.

@PotassiumChloride

I think there’s a great deal of denial about the fact that we are pretty much f**ed. Climate change is going to make Covid look like a walk in the park.

I don’t disagree with this, but I’m wondering when? How long do we have?

Are we talking within the next decade or 100 years from now? People often only worry about what’s just about to happen.

Having spent 11 years in the Middle East and now living not to far from Lytton, I have to say they don't have too much in common.
The ME is better set up for it - everywhere has a/c and the vehicles are a Gulf spec which means the a/c is more efficient and the vehicles are designed to run in hotter climates.
However, the ME isn't mostly forested with trees that haven't seen rain for over a month, and the houses aren't constructed from wood.
Where I am, we've have the temperatures hit over 40c for 6 days straight. Lytton set a record recently with 49.6C.
That is bloody terrifying. Also two people from this small town are reported dead from the fire.

On another note, relating to something posted further up, I did not celebrate Canada day. I do not feel like the confederation of Canada - the joining of areas taken from Indigenous peoples - to be something to celebrate.