EMERGENCY RISK REDUCTION

It’s stealthy and quiet. It’s relentless. And can be deadly. It gets little recognition and deserves more. And we are having one here on Vancouver Island. A heat wave. Yes, it’s summer in North America, so expected to be warm or hot. But even by Canada standards, the heat for the last three weeks has been extreme. We had 8 days of >26 degrees Celsius and now another 4 days. The thermometer on my balcony says 34C…which is the mid-90s F.

It’s amusing to see the reaction from Canadians. Considering the harsh winters in most of this huge northern country, I notice that it’s difficult to find complainers.  Most either love this heat, or don’t commit either way. Because around the corner in a few short months, come the cold winds, snow drifts, and biting temperatures. I take another approach. Originally from the southern US, I will assume the necessary role of “complainer”.  Today is hot! Too hot!

But it’s not the hot temperatures that make me dash for the shade. I can refresh with water, soda, or iced tea. And there’s always the AC. It’s the impact of these numerous days on many everyday items. Heat wave impact has changed the course of world history.  Take food production. Many of you know that I live on a small farm, which produce an assortment of berries, fruit, and vegetables. Although we have irrigation, it can only go so far. The beating-down sun and sweltering heat wreak havoc with crops, unless climate controlled with shade or greenhouses – which only a few farmers can afford. And certainly not available in our grandfathers’ days and centuries ago.

Food production has suffered greatly from these heat waves. The impact is food shortages, and food spoilage. The result is less food, which in the extreme, can lead to starvation. This has happened countless times, and sadly continues in the 21^st Century, especially among the poorest of the poor.

We in the developed world take for granted the ability to walk into the grocery store and buy unlimited quantities, packaged in various forms and imported from several countries. Regardless of the temperatures and growing conditions outside. Our ancestors didn’t have that luxury. In a way, there was no ‘developed world’.  They plowed, planted, weeded, harvested, ate…and sold any excess. If a heat wave burned the crop, so be it. Nourishment was directly affected by food intake, and sadly, sometimes food was limited or not available. Therefore the threat of starvation.

I repeat:  Heat waves and the desperation for survival have changed the course of history. It has caused people migrations for millennia. Diaspora and immigrants throughout the ages, causing conflict, culture shifts, etc.   No continent has been untouched. The reality is that we usually only read about it in the books.

Food shortage is too far removed from us today. Maybe the cost of a few veggies goes up for a season. Or there’s a temporary shortage of an item or two. But it’s only a minor inconvenience. Not a life-or-death matter as in centuries past.

Let’s do several things. Give thanks for living in today’s abundance where starvation and desperation is rare.  Secondly, thanks for the economic and political systems that are in place, despite how flawed, will remain stable and continue to bless us with a world of plenty. Thirdly, that we help out where we can, such as charity or soup kitchen, to alleviate inequitable food distribution around us. And lastly, that we look beyond the veneer and realize how fragile are today’s food systems and reasonably prepare ourselves for an uncertain future.

Thanks for reading.