Climate Crisis Jezebel Vibes
The end of summer is merciless. It’s been so hot for so long it’s made me jaded. I don’t need snow or ice, I just want a break from 100+ degrees. The little rainstorms we’re getting have been keeping me from losing it.
I feel like we need to quit playing around like summers are what they used to be! In 2005 it made sense to go to the farmers market, get some iced lemonade, sit around on a patio and have a barbecue. But we keep pursuing these summer activities in 2024 like they’re humane, bearable, reasonable—they’re nothing of the sort!
Last summer, 2023, I did a lot of vending at art festivals and popups outdoors in the heat. I survived and did fine, but this year I purposely skipped a lot of the outdoor vending and instead opted for more indoor, air conditioned events. I also turned up the use of my webstore and hope to see it succeed through bad weather whether it’s summer or winter.
In the future I envision summer events done totally differently. Some might say it’s unrealistic, but I personally want to do everything I can to move to a new style of popup, not just for my own comfort but for the safety of the public:
-We need 100% free ice water stations
-We need cooling tents and air conditioned facilities for breaks from the heat and sun
-All vendors need to have misting fans either provided for them or brought with them while they vend
-Better public knowledge for preventing heat exhaustion
-More events in the dark, after 8 PM
-Ideally events will be moved almost exclusively to indoor, air conditioned venues
Is that all asking too much? How far are we willing to go before we admit we’re endangering the public, asking them to come out in extreme temperatures to spend their money?
Personally I got got a couple times this summer by the heat sickness and it was torture. Fatigue, nausea, lethargy, headaches, loss of appetite. In the times of global warming it seems highly arrogant to act like it’s not deadly outside. At least that’s how I feel about it.
