Gonna be a long, hot summer says Environment Canada
Breakout the grills, shorts, and umbrellas because according to Environment Canada, most of Canada is going to be hotter than normal this summer (May through July). Drier, they aren’t sure yet, but conventional wisdom is pointing to the “well, yeah” spot on the dial.
You might think, sweet! Beach weather! Fun in the sun! There are serious problems that come with the dog days of summer (that saying comes from Roman times BTW, because Canis the dog star started to be visible in the night sky during the hottest part of the Roman summer). First let’s take food. For crops to grow they need enough water to match both growth and temperature. If it’s hotter, then not only do some plants grow faster (requiring more water), but water evaporates from the soil faster. You can see the problem here. Not enough rain … too dry for crops to grow well.
Now let’s look at human health. Hot weather means smog. Smog is bad for young children, people with asthma, and the elderly. Only option, stay inside or just reduce outdoor activity.
Now here’s the kicker. Power. Remember the blackout of 2003? More heat, more air conditioning. More air conditioning, more power needed. At is isn’t just people cooling their homes. Think of those tall buildings baking in the sun all day long. What about hospitals? They need to be cool.
Now, things you can do. Reduce water usage. Guys, washing your car is superfluous to your daily existence. Save some water for your food, drive a dirty car. Cut your lawn a little higher than you usually do (I try to keep my mower on almost the highest setting), longer lawns require less water … not that I suggest watering your lawn either. For power, if you have AC, let your house get a little warmer. Pull blinds during the hottest parts of the day, open windows at night. Try not to do laundry and heavy cooking (like the oven) at the peak evening time. Do laundry early morning and late evening.
Beyond what you can do as an individual, States and Provinces are getting together to work on regional accords on pollution and other things that can help reduce Greenhouse emissions.
Tags: hot summer, climate change, global warming, summer weather
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