Get as much July into my lungs
E199: London. Why July remains 'Climate month' in this publcation
July 1, 2025 London, UK. 34.7C high
June 28, 2025 Seville, Spain. 41C high
In case I needed convincing, the summer highs have been hitting right across Europe and on both sides of the North Atlantic - highs so high you are one match away from breathing out fire each time you exhale, where the least bit of exertion exacts a price, and you will feel the slow but exact journey that bead of sweat will take that started at the base of your neck.
“I remember taking a deep breathe, trying to get as much JULY into my lungs as possible.” — When the Water is Gone, Rudy Francisco1
Both sides of the Atlantic were dealing with record temperature. Therefore, I’m not yet ready to take a break from my July Rite of Passage—July as the Climate month.
My mission, during July, is to continue to explore what we can do differently, particularly if we want the joys we experienced as children and that our children experience today to be joys our grandchildren will also enjoy. The beach. The slip’n’slide. Summer.
I wonder if the next generation will know water
the same way I did
— When the Water is Gone, Rudy Francisco
As I approach edition 200, I thought you might want to see how these essays have evolved since 2022:
2022
E45:
Too hot to think
Boy. When I said “Welcome from London, where the heat is sapping my energy and it is getting almost too hot to think” last week, I clearly had no idea what I was talking about. On Tuesday July 19, 2022 the temperatures in London, UK danced around 40C/104F. Without air-conditioning.
2023
E95:
2024
E148:
What "Better" Were We Seeking for Our Children That It Came at the Expense of What Was Free and Abundant?
“I wonder … if the next generation will know water the same way I did.
E149:
E150:
I hope next year will be a cooler July. What do you do to keep cool?
Welcome to Tribe Tilt!
If you have recently joined, you have self-selected into this powerful, wonderful group. We believe we can make a difference to the people and places that are precious to us - that we have hope and agency within our own lives that ripples through to others.
Stay healthy. From there all else becomes possible. Treat your health as the precious resource it is.
See you again next week.
Karena
Dateline: London, UK
Would you like to join our Tribe Tilt?
The poem that launched my July mission for summer
It’s hot here on the other side of the Atlantic too. July 8 in NYC at 95F/35C
Wow, I watched the whole video - thanks for sharing this, Karena! Makes me think as someone who is part of the next generation. While education is my primary advocacy, I can't look away and care about our climate, too.