To avoid summer holidays in Europe atm

[Meadowland]

A friend is just back from Spain and spent the whole week indoors as it was "unbearably" hot.
We have just cancelled. Weather may be unpredictable here but at least we can go out !

Same. I wouldn't cancel a holiday due to temps of high 30s, I used to quite enjoy that kind of heat in southern Europe, but I don't fly because it contributes to causing this climate breakdown, so if you've cancelled a flight then YANBU at all from my perspective!

Not just atm this is climate change - it's crazy how hot it is we need to do something about it urgently

Just back from Spain. It was gorgeous. Very hot, but lovely swimming in the sea and the pool.

It's always hot in Spain in July & August. People from Madrid & Seville & inland go to the coast as it is cooler. Lots of businesses close for August.

You could stop all holiday travel by air tomorrow and hardly put a dent in green house gas emissions and climate change.

Not denying it might be a dent worth making but it's not even close to a fix..

Why did you book in late July if you don't like the heat

if you can cancel that is good
the media are making a big issue about it, and why people go,
well, people have always gone to spain on holiday in the summer months.

We are in Croatia at the mo and it’s lovely - hot but not that hot 😎

What I don't get is if this is all due to global warming why is anyone still travelling by plane?

Because the majority of people want their summer holiday abroad - like it's a God given right.

Download a plane app to see how many planes are flying around the planet - absolutely astonishing amounts.

@Meadowland I don't think you're ridiculous or unreasonable at all. Any temp (for me) over around 35 C is uncomfortable to be out in the sun.

I agree, it shouldn't be the only change we make about our consumption, but it's a pretty big one we can make - most of us fairly easily. I can see why people with family overseas might not find it as 'easy' as I have to stop flying, but I'm somewhat aghast at just how unconcerned lots of people seem to be.

notsurewherenotsurewhy · Today 06:48
SoTheyAre · Today 06:43

That is a bit unnecessary op but OTOH the less air travel the better for the environment.

What I don't get is if this is all due to global warming why is anyone still travelling by plane?
Same. I wouldn't cancel a holiday due to temps of high 30s, I used to quite enjoy that kind of heat in southern Europe, but I don't fly because it contributes to causing this climate breakdown, so if you've cancelled a flight then YANBU at all from my perspective!

Yes, we are a strange, strange species…

Hey, humans - if you keep releasing carbon into the atmosphere the weather is going to go crazy. It’s going to get so hot people will die. Food will be harder to grow and you’ll end up killing each other over it. Flying is a massive carbon polluter so may be stop flying?

But I like my holidays abroad. I get to relax and enjoy myself.

Ok but, look now you’ve kept releasing loads of carbon, the places you go on holiday are already too hot to enjoy and people are already dying. Things are going to get devastatingly hard for everyone. Wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, food shortages, drought, higher mortality and morbidity, mass migration and conflict/wars. Are you sure you want to keep flying on holiday?

Oh yes, but I’ll go at a different time of year or to somewhere else.

But, you know that you won’t be protected from the impact of the climate emergency right? It will effect everyone. True, poor people and people in other areas will be effected first and worst, but as more of works turns to dessert and more people move on, and food gets harder to grow - you will ALL have a really tough existence.

Oh, I’m not going to think about that, because I just want my holiday abroad. I’ve earned it.

Oh, erm, ok.

and one of the bad things for climate change is air con,
let's provide lots of air con because it is so hot!

I think the dent is pretty big - during lockdown CO2 emissions went down -

but yep - there are loads of other things that could be done, that aren't. Like building regs - why not make all new houses really well insulated with solar panels? It's not happening. Nope - some politicians still think a new gas/coal/oil field would be a great idea

notimagain · Today 07:02
You could stop all holiday travel by air tomorrow and hardly put a dent in green house gas emissions and climate change.

Not denying it might be a dent worth making but it's not even close to a fix..

Its the easiest and quickest way to massively reduce your personal carbon footprint.

https://flightfree.co.uk/

Re climate change and flying, a billionaire will holiday on their mega yacht and commission the pilot of their private plane to fly from the French Riviera to Russia and back to bring them a pot of the World's finest caviar for dinner!
I think your average working Joe can take a 2 hour flight to Spain once a year.

i have one dd living in an area with terrible flooding and another in an absolute extreme heat wave with wild fires
apocalyptic

Bit extreme to cancel. Where were you going that is too hot to handle? Spain is always hot in July/August and highs around 40 are not unusual.

Seville's geography makes it an oven in the summer, so I'd never go there in July/August if i wanted to sightsee. Barcelona region is cooler but usually more humid. Madrid region is hotter but drier.

We stay in the shade when it's boiling and have long evenings. Teens enjoy the pool/hot tub, whatever the weather.

If you want cooler weather then go in May half term or to North Spain. They have less in the way of resorts but temperate weather and lovely, unspoilt coastline.

We have Spnaish family and are going to Madrid/Barcelona in August. It hasn't crossed my mind to cancel. Will just take hats and hydrate at Port Aventura.

Exactly

littleblackcat27

Yes, the Government are still approving new gas and oil exploration. I’m not a JSO member but it’s easy to see why people are turning to civil disobedience when our government know the harm coming to us and to come (their own advisors say they are not doing enough) but continue to de-invest in renewables and keep investing in oil and gas. It’s almost like they have vested interests in the oil industry….

@LittleApartmentOnThePrairie

I totally agree with your post.

I'm going to the Mediterranean this week. Will adapt day trips to avoid the afternoon heat but other than that I can't wait.

I’m on a Greek island at the moment and it’s lovely! 33 or so in the day which is perfect for sitting in the shade by the pool or beach. We’ve got air con for night but the day is fine for holidays.

All the weather experts are saying this is unprecedented weather but the MN collective is determined to keep arguing that these temperatures in southern Europe are “just normal for this time of year” 😬🙄.

They’re really not.

I'm in the balaerics and it's lovely. Getting up to 36c today but every other day is around 30-33, perfectly normal for this time of year and not as hot as it's been on previous visits in the summer. When we came in 2019 it hit 40c.
We spend most of our time in the water, spent all day snorkelling yesterday.
Just got to be sensible. I wouldn't be doing a sight seeing holiday in the med this time of year.
I also purposely chose a hotel right out on a peninsula overlooking the sea so we have a lovely breeze. Feel sorry for people working in this heat though but I guess they're used to it.

We’re off to Europe soon, usual July temps where we are going