20°C cooler!

This time last week as the fires were just starting it was more than 20°C hotter than it is today. It has taken a week and now the fires appear to be coming under control. Sadly it would seem that the gendarmes are starting an investigation in which it would seem that they believe that the fires may have been deliberately started. I find it hard to understand what goes through the mind of someone who would do such a thing.

We did get some down time over the weekend. Though Saturday was mostly taken up with shopping. I cannot explain why I keep avoiding supermarkets but I do. However occasionally it has to be done. So with gritted teeth we shopped. We were also able to collect Chris’ grass-strimmer.

The process of having the strimmer mended has made us think about the approach to investing in items that we see over here. We can both name at least 3 places in our locality where it’s possible to have garden equipment mended. We tried to think of places in the UK near where we used to live and came up blank. It seems that things here may cost more in the first instance but in the long term they are expected to last.

One of the issues that we need to address if we are to seriously consider all aspects of climate change is not just disposable packaging but the whole raft of issues that come from having an expectation of obsolescence. I read something recently in which someone was talking about their parents having a cooker, a fridge and a suite for over twenty years. It seems that Belling was a popular brand, both our parents had one! And again they were working for well over twenty years. Their furniture had similar longevity. I notice that a particular Swedish brand is now guaranteeing most of their furniture for 15 years, which is a start.

I really hope that I never see happening again, what happened here last week. It was awful for the environment, the fire officers, the farmers, the gendarmes, all of whom were involved in the process of bringing it under control and making it safe. It will have a lasting impact on those of us who live here. I don’t think we thought that we would ever see anything like this. It also is having a negative impact on holiday businesses. I know that I am not the only one who has had cancellations because of the fire.

I am not trying to suggest that global warming was responsible for last week’s fire, it wasn’t. The police have now announced that they are looking for an arsonist. However climate change, it was a significant contributory factor. If the ground had not been tinder dry, it would not have been able to take hold and spread in the way in which it did. I do hope that if nothing else this whole experience helps us to think about the way in which we use the planet. We really need to consider where we can; repair, re-use, or re-cycle. We need to be more considerate. Certainly when I was a child, an approach that included maintaining items was normal. Perhaps we need to return to such an approach. For now I’m off to make chutney, we’re using up a glut of courgettes. So I’m ensuring that we make good use of the resources that are available to us.

Until tomorrow…