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"For most of human evolutionary history, Summer was only mildly different from the rest of the year. That is because our roots go to the African savanna—near the equator. Seasonality was mild," Dr. Geher told Bored Panda in an email.
"My wife, Shannon, moved to New York recently from Los Angeles. She talks about only having known about the four seasons from books and movies. She treats the New York summer with genuine wonder. During most of our evolutionary history, everyone might as well have lived in SoCal—but without books and movies that told of life with the four seasons," he said.
"The four seasons—including the specialness of Summer—only came on the scene relatively recently in the human evolutionary story. Summer, as so many of us experience it now, truly is a stroke of luck from an evolutionary perspective. It is a treasure and should be treated as such."
#2
According to Dr. Geher, summer is a fortunate time for many of us. "If you are lucky (as I am), your job gives you flexibility and even time off. Here in the northern hemisphere, days are long and warm. And plant and animal life abound," he told Bored Panda.
"Humans in the industrialized world famously experience nature deficiency much of the time. We can lean on summer to rectify this. Go out and walk in nature. Find water and get your feet wet—splash around like you did as a child. Stop everything to just watch the stars for an hour in the evening," he said.
"And step back from social media. There is no FOMO if it is just you and your loved ones enjoying the simple pleasures of Summer."
#3
We seriously love this season. It’s honestly empowering. Even though we’re envious of students and educators who get to take a multi-month vacation and just do whatever, summer still offers lots of opportunities to relax, even when you’ve got full-time responsibilities. It’s light outside late into the night, so you get to go on long walks with friends or just chill in nature somewhere. The weather’s often decent enough to force you to go outside and move more. And there’s nothing that compares to the sights, sounds, and smells of summer.
That being said, things aren’t as romantic or perfect all the time. And not everyone’s a fan of the sizzling temperatures, for good reason. Hotter weather is awful for people in terms of their health, and bad for economies as a whole.
It’s incredibly important that you take care of yourself when it’s searingly hot outside. It is very easy to overheat. And, if you’re not careful, you can end up with heat exhaustion or heatstroke. The former isn’t that bad if you can cool yourself down, the BBC points out.
However, in case of heatstroke, you need immediate medical treatment. Essentially, heatstroke means that your body can’t manage the heat and your core temperature rises too high. Young children, older adults, and individuals with long-term health conditions are particularly at risk. But it can affect anyone, including healthy people.
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Some of the main signs of heat exhaustion include:
- Excessive sweating
- Feeling hot and unwell
- Dizziness and confusion
- Having a headache
- Feeling sick and losing your appetite
- Fast pulse and breathing
- Major thirst
- Cramping in your arms, legs, and stomach
- Your temperature rising to 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) or above
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Meanwhile, you may have heatstroke and need urgent medical assistance if:
- You feel poorly after half an hour of resting in a cool place and drinking lots of water
- You’re not sweating even when you feel hot
- You feel confused, feel short of breath, or have a seizure
- Your temperature is 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) or above
- You lose consciousness or you’re not responsive
It’s essential that you take care of your health, and remind your loved ones to take care of theirs.
If you find someone facing heat exhaustion, the NHS urges you to move them to a cool place, remove unnecessary clothing (for instance, their socks or jacket), give them cool water or a sports drink, cool their skin with a spray or sponge, and fan them. You can also use cold packs, so long as you wrap them up in a cloth. Place them on the person’s neck or under their armpits.
Prevention, of course, is better than dealing with the consequences. During heatwaves, make sure you’re drinking more water, especially if you’re physically active. Avoid the sun during peak heat hours, don’t drink alcohol, skip extreme exercise, and wear light-colored and loose clothing.
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Some parts of the world are forced to weather increasingly blistering summers. In Europe, for example, the heat is becoming so devastating that it’s having a direct impact on the continent’s economy. As reported by Euronews, the losses in GDP and labor productivity will likely only get worse in the future, according to researchers.
As per Euronews, based on data from the European State of the Climate report, Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth. 2024 was the warmest year, not just in Europe, but around the world as well. The trend is worrying, as globally, the last decade marked the warmest decade on record.
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On average, heatwaves caused economic losses in Europe of around 0.21% of GDP between 1981 and 2010.
It’s projected that these GDP losses will rise to around 0.77% between 2035 and 2045, and to 0.95% between 2045 and 2055.
By the 2060s, GDP loss could be roughly 1.14%.
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Euronews notes that the European countries most vulnerable to economic losses due to hotter climates include Cyprus, Croatia, Portugal, Malta, Spain, and Romania, as well as Greece, Italy, and France.
On the flip side, nations like the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Belgium will be impacted far less.
That being said, almost all European countries, no matter the region, will have to deal with worsening effects.
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