Why do we pretend heatwaves are fun – and ignore the brutal, burning reality? | Zoe Williams

7 comments

1. This issue was top of my mind yesterday as I listened (involuntarily) to hours of baseball commentary. The sportscasters kept referring to the broiling weather, the way it had made some player ill the previous day (throwing up on base), and on and on. But they never made the leap to truly substantive comments, like how is baseball as a sport going to prepare for the increasing health hazards as each summer gets hotter?

   Personal indifference aside, here is this hugely popular sport that is facing some serious consequences as summer heatwaves increase in duration and intensity, and there’s zero apparent awareness. There should be discussions about upgrading stadiums, changing the schedules of games (earlier in the day or later in the evening), and protecting players AND spectators from heat stroke.

   Instead, crickets.

2. Who pretends heat waves are fun? They’re hot and awful.

3. You’ll look back on this heatwave and remember when it only got *this* hot in June. Fun!

4. I absolutely hate hearing radio presenters commenting on how “lovely the weather is today” in this ignorant, naive tone whilst the weather is 10C above average for the time of year.

5. It’s incredible we have to be told it’s a problem. Can’t people feel the heat, or is it collective insanity that we  pretend otherwise?

6. aside: who pretends they are fun? No one thinks they’re fun.

7. They won’t be fun if an overloaded grid means there’s no A/C. Better hope there aren’t any pissed-off foreign countries that have agents ready to attack critical grid infrastructure serving a major city.

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