Is this climate change?

VOCABULARY

Next week, in Austria, we will have to brace ourselves for some extremely cold weather that is coming from the North Pole. In England they are calling it "The Beast from the East", as people prepare themselves for temperatures to drop to as low as minus 25 degrees. The last few winters have been quite mild in comparison and we are just not used to such freezing temperatures anymore. However, twenty years ago, such temperatures were quite normal in Austria. I, for one, will not be venturing out then and prefer to stay wrapped up indoors.

I have experienced such freezing temperatures once, while I was skiing in Bormio (not Borneo) in the Italian Alps. I had lost my ski group and was skiing alone, when the temperature dropped to below minus 30. I found myself completely alone on the slope and wondered where everyone else had gone to. I decided to take the drag lift, which was not manned, back up to Bormio 3000. I remember being terrified as I felt my fingers freeze to the bar and my tears turned to ice. They literally had to peel me off the lift and I was treated for hypothermia. Needless to say, since then, I am not a fan of freezing temperatures.

Here in Salzburg, we seem to be in midwinter as the snow keeps falling and the temperature drops. I am reminded of this every day, at 4am, when I am woken up by the snow plough clearing the roads. Now, I do appreciate that the man driving the snowplough has a job to do, but I have come to the conclusion that his motto is "if I can’t sleep, then nobody can", as he crunches the snow plough into reverse gear – for the sixth time. It is at 4am, that I become philosophical and ask myself if these extreme temperatures are due to climate change.

Certain people, such as Mr Donald Trump, deny this fact but, as the River Seine, in Paris, rose more than four metres above its normal water level and Cape Town is facing the worst drought ever and its taps are running dry, we should consider this. Researchers at Newcastle University, in England, have published a report in the Environmental Research Journal, which shows that the impact of heatwaves and drought in the future will be enormous and affect 571 European cities. Great flooding will affect many parts of England and Ireland and many cities, such as London, Vienna or Salzburg, with rivers flowing through them, will be in danger. The experts predict that Stockholm, Rome, Prague and Vienna could see the greatest surge in maximum temperatures during heatwaves and many southern European cities will experience droughts 14 times worse than today.

The report makes frightening reading and still not enough is being done to at least slow down climate change. Of course, most of us try to do our bit, whereas, others go to great extremes to prove their point. Last week I wrote about the amazing documentary made by Sir David Attenborough, "Blue Planet II", which shows incredible footage of life in our seas and how we are damaging its very existence with plastic. Now I would advise anyone – with the means to do so – to watch the story of the "Human Polar Bear", Lewis Pugh, who risked his life by swimming in sub-zero temperatures to raise awareness of climate change. He will inspire you as he prepares to become the first man to swim across the North Pole, in water that is 4,200 metres deep and –1.7 C, to demonstrate how polar bears could become extinct in thirty years, due to the melting ice. The film will make you shiver, but I take my hat off to amazing people like Lewis Pugh who constantly remind us that we have to do more – if we want to save our planet. drought – Dürre awful floods – schreckliche Überflutungen to brace oneself – sich wappnen in comparison – verglichen mit to be used to sth. – an etw. gewöhnt sein I, for one – ich meinerseits to venture out – sich hinauswagen wrapped up – eingewickelt on the slope – auf der Piste to wonder – sich fragen drag lift – Schlepplift manned – bemannt to be terrified – Angst haben the bar – Stange tears – Tränen literally – buchstäblich to peel off – ablösen to treat – behandeln hypothermia – Unterkühlung to remind sbd. – jmd. erinnern snow plough – Schneepflug to appreciate – schätzen conclusion – Schlussfolgerung to crunch into reverse gear – den Rückwärtsgang reinwürgen to deny a fact – eine Tatsache leugnen to rise – steigen taps run dry – die Wasserhähne versiegen to affect – betreffen to predict – vorhersagen surge – Anschwellen to do our bit – unseren Beitrag leisten footage – Filmmaterial to advise – raten the means – die Mittel to raise awareness – Bewusstsein wecken to become extinct – aussterben melting ice – schmelzendes Eis to shiver – zittern