In a prolonged dry spell I have started to get quite sentimental about rain. The UK is generally a damp place but for weeks now we have had hardly any rain. Ok, it is the summer and the sunshine is welcome generally but the country looks very brown. Parts of the country have had to deal with wildfires, many are finding the conditions trying.

Recent heatwave illustrated in British press screen shot from article https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-weather-latest-heatwave-satellite-pictures-hottest-summer-met-office-a8453666.html

Of course there is little we can do in the short term but wait for the conditions to change. In the longer term I can only hope that we are also mindful of the environmental impact of human activity on our climate. Not a concern shared by President Trump and the climate change deniers. Trump sees everything in terms of transactions and deals, he is unlikely to have time for soft power or nudge theories. However, how does this transactional approach fit with the American dream? The aggressively nationalist stance currently taken by Trump (travel bans, anti-immigration stance) seen also in the antics of the Brexiteers in the UK  (“no deal is better than a bad deal”) sends antagonistic messages to all. Who wants to be friends with a possessive bully? Is this the American dream? More like a nightmare. What do presidents and politicians have if they don’t have the support of the people they govern?

The heat of selfishness is drying out our usually welcoming nation. I find myself even more determined to prioritise the part I can play in watering the ground around me. As Sheila says it may not be easy but the constant drip, drip of water against rock has the potential to change even the toughest of environments. Let us be the water that creates holes through austerity and allows life to return to inhospitable surroundings.

Canyonlands National Park via Pixabay CC0