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LOCAL TAKE Extreme heat turns to climate change talk Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jun. 28, 2015 at 5:21 PM Updated Jun 28, 2015 at 5:22 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jun. 28, 2015 at 5:21 PM Updated Jun 28, 2015 at 5:22 PM » Social News The monster heat wave that has descended on the region is significantly earlier, hotter and longer than usual, forecasters say. The National Weather Service calls it a “10-year event,” adding that records will be broken, fire danger will ratchet up and fire-sparking thunderstorms may roll into the region through Sunday. Heat is a top killer, causing more deaths than floods, lightning, tornadoes and hurricanes combined, so it’s important to have strategies in place for a thermal siege such as this. Jackson County health officer Jim Shames reminds us to drink lots of water, avoid dehydration from alcohol and caffeine, wear light clothing, don’t work or exercise in the hot sun, take cool showers, use or find air-conditioned spaces, check on the elderly and don’t leave children or pets in cars, even with windows cracked. The heat has brought renewed debate about whether this is part of climate change or if it’s just a real scorcher that happens once in a while. We asked Ashlanders about this — and how they’re chillin’ out this week. Kindler Stout — What this heat does to me is turn me into more of a climate change activist. I’ve been here since 1987, and I’ve seen the weather shift in that time. This heat and other events have been playing out for up to 20 years. There may be ways to get this carbon back in the ground but, if so, we’re going to suffer a lot first. Mary West — I’m going to stay in the house, put on the air and sleep during the day, because I work graveyard. As for the cause of this, the Earth is always changing, and we have to get used to it. Linda Peterson Adams — We try to get up early and walk the dog, when it’s cooler. We have air conditioning, so we invite neighbors with no air to come in if they need to cool off. We drink lots of water, of course. I worry about climate change. I heard the Arctic ice is melting, causing the jet stream to go higher on the planet. I can’t believe they want to drill in the Arctic, which just increases climate change. I’m driving less and try to get involved in government and transportation issues. A lot of people want another parking ramp in downtown Ashland, but I’d rather see something like an electric shuttle. We need to de-emphasize the gas-guzzling economy and buy local. Stephanie Raffelock — Definitely, I’m going to flip on the air conditioning and drink lots of water. Not too much activity. Probably real light eating. A lot of people are going to the coast, and that sounds real good. We are living in the middle of climate change now. It’s not going to happen up the road. It’s right now. There’s going to be lots of changes in the world. There are still things we can do, but I have little faith in any legislature. They will take things, as is, to the end, when the Earth shakes us off like a dog shakes fleas off. Dr. Sylvia Chatroux — We’re going to open all the doors at night and close them in the morning. Rinse the dogs with water. Keep my hair wet. Truthfully, I like the sun. I wear protective clothing instead of sunscreen. Swim in lakes and pools. I worry about climate change. We don’t have much snow now. And that hurricane in New York was very unusual, a shock. Things are going in the wrong direction. We are experiencing climate change right now. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jun. 28, 2015 at 5:21 PM Updated Jun 28, 2015 at 5:22 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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