Heat wave across Europe

phew! .... its unbearably hot these days. As the heat wave sweeps across European cities, the sun is scorching down over us. Over the last week the temperatures have soared high enough recording maximum measured values at several places. It brings back the memories of Summer of 2003 when the heat was similarly sweltering. Then around 20,000 people had died across Europe, owing to heat-related problems. The governments were not prepared at that time to face such a hot weather, which is quite uncommon to this part of the world. Since then, the officials and the people are more prepared for the scorching summers. There has been record sales in fans, air-conditioners all over the cities. But the increase in air-conditioners forces demand on power consumption which adds to some extra problems to the authorities apart from the environmental hazards the CFCs emitted would cause.

While in school I had given a talk on Global warming and Ozone depletion and the problems that would cause. That was more than a decade ago. Now I seem to experience those problems, about which I had read at that time. If we dont do something serious about the issue of global warming, I fear we could only see some more severe weather conditions in the future. There are constant reports of blackouts in US owing to high consumption demands. If a country like US cannot meet its energy requirements, then we can only surmise about the energy crisis in under-developed nations. Its high time we dealt with this issue seriously.