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| France on fire. Ringside view |
This couple are of course unable to do anything about the fires that burn in Europe, or even in the UK. I ceased saying anything years ago about climate change. It has only been on the table this last 30 years, people just did not want to know. And we, so like this couple will sit back and watch, listen to the ceaseless arguments about fossil fuel being 'needed' and some will wonder at the laziness of the population in not making more direct action to at least remedy what is happening now.
People will be evacuated, wild life will be left to their fate. Land will be scorched and crops burnt. Not a future we should leave for our children.
What a world, what a world. I hadn't seen that photo. Looks like a sci-fi movie. Awful.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it is a scene you would find in war Ellen. Scary. Apparently the fires create their own wind.
DeleteThe photograph works because the couple's calm posture is so ordinary while the horizon behind them is anything but ordinary. That contrast makes the image a useful record of how people can become spectators to a crisis that feels too large for individual action. Your final point about evacuation, wildlife and scorched crops brings the discussion back from abstract arguments about fuel to the immediate losses that repeated fires create.
ReplyDeleteYes, hope you are not a robot by the way, it grabs the attention with the two things it exposes so graphically. The photographer was just snapping beach photos. It will make an impression of course but very fleetingly.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder if that is a genuine photograph or an AI-enhanced one. I don't think it would be very comfortable sitting on that beach with the air polluted with smoke and ash. Even so, drought and fires are part of our lives for the present, and shrinking reservoirs and rivers.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough Janice before I saw the above I had been looking for a decent 'truth verification' site. American is Snopes and there is an independent verification site for the UK. But on checking back for you ;) came across this in the Guardian........ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/28/ash-fell-from-the-sky-tourists-describe-fleeing-apocalyptic-wildfires-in-france (R/H click)
ReplyDeleteWhich showed similar photos. So yes it is as near to the truth as I can find, 375,000 people moved. The photographer was a Mr. Lamy - a professional.
I really should stop being so suspicious . . . . blushing now.
DeleteI think that robot is a chinese robot - I deleted 'it' on my blog although that's probably pointless.
ReplyDeleteYes I wondered Sue but to be honest I have thousands of visits per month, presumably mostly bots, and he did write quite well, maybe it was an AI translation.
DeleteGoogle says it's a real photo, and it seems to have been used by reputable news outlets. My attitude toward climate change is that I will do what I can to minimize my contribution, but I also recognize that the problem goes way, way beyond anything I can control. So there is an element of sitting-on-the-beach involved. What else can we do?
ReplyDeleteYes Steve NYT is one of them as well. It is also very original in its depiction, could you dream it up? Because of my love for golden retrievers, I get plagued by naughty dog being admonished by utterly sweet child reels (that is the impression) but it probably AI.
ReplyDeleteAll we can do is nag the people around us, but there are signs that people are taking note of climate breakdown and there are small things everyone can do.