Dead heat

What if you saw someone walking past a burning house who paid no attention to it? They don’t try to put out the fire. They do nothing to help the people crying out inside. They just keep walking. You would think there was something wrong with them, wouldn’t you? Now imagine the burning house is their own, and their own friends and family are trapped inside. That seems sociopathic. And yet that person is us, and the house is humanity’s common home.

But you knew that already. Observations like that are so commonplace nowadays they've become clichés. You may have already stopped reading this, and I don't blame you if you have. After all, we know exactly what we're doing to ourselves. We just don't know what to do about it. Or we're not willing to do what needs to be done.

Welcome to your future:

“Officials on Friday hunted for any missing residents of a British Columbia town destroyed by wildfire as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered federal assistance ... The roughly 1,000 residents of Lytton had to abandon their homes with just a few minutes notice Wednesday evening after suffering the previous day under a record high of 121.2 Fahrenheit (49.6 Celsius).

“Officials said it was unclear whether anyone remained in the village 95 miles (150 kilometers) northeast of Vancouver due to a lack of cell service and because it wasn’t safe to enter most of the area.”

Imagine: The people of the town isolated, their world burning, as even their digital connections vanish in the suffocating dark.

Welcome to your future:

“California has declared a state of emergency to address power system concerns, as parts of the US south-west reported dangerously high temperatures. An excessive heat warning is in place for much of Arizona and California, and southern areas of Nevada and Utah. People are being told to stay in air-conditioned areas and out of the sun.

“Californians have also been urged to conserve energy during peak times, as temperatures are expected to remain between 100-110F until Sunday. The California Independent System Operator, which controls most of the state’s power grid, asked people to set thermostats to 78F or higher, avoid using major appliances and unnecessary lights.

“In Phoenix, Arizona, the temperatures reached 118F on Thursday, while Las Vegas reported 115F and Denver reached 100F for the third day in a row. About 50 million people were under excessive heat warnings and heat advisories across the south-west.”

Power that comes and goes. The oppressive sensation of never feeling cool. The sun an alien and hostile object overhead.

Welcome to your future: “Global warming will increase the chances of summer conditions that may be 'too hot for humans' to work in…”

Excerpted: ‘Dead Heat: It Is Too Late to Leave’

Commondreams.org