Wildfires in Bordeaux region

Liz and I used to visit the Bordeaux wine region in springtime to taste wine in the smaller vineyards and to bring a few cases home. Part of our visit was a trip across the heavily wooded area known as “Les Landes”, between the wine region and the Atlantic coast. We would go on a car ferry from the town of Blaye on the North-east side of the Gironde to the Médoc close to Chateau Margaux.

It was wonderful driving through the extensive flat forests on long straight roads with little traffic and wide cycle lanes beside the road. One destination was the magnificent bay of Arcachon. It has the tallest sand dune in Europe. We just had to walk up it: two steps up and one step back. Another destination was the surfing town of Lacanau, where at times world class waves come crashing in from the Bay of Biscay. It is situated on the unspoiled Atlantic coast with miles of unbroken beaches and few people.

At the time of writing, I am reading with horror about the terrible wildfires devastating this forest area and threatening Bordeaux itself. How awful for the residents and the summer visitors. There is also the loss of trees, which absorb CO2, and of wildlife, often devastated by wildfires.

At a personal level, I feel that my happy memories of carefree days in this area have been incinerated by the mighty forces of nature responding to global warming caused by human activity.

Few can deny that climate change is with us. Wildfires are not only in this region but all over France and Europe. They are so bad in Canada as to cause air pollution in cities in the USA. On the other side of the coin, we get ever more powerful winter storms with floods and landslides.

I fear that we are close to runaway climate change, especially when I see CO2 being given off by trees on fire, and I am aware of the Greenland icecap melting rapidly.

Well-meaning politicians keep talking but are reluctant to take hard decisions for fear of losing the electorate. Some politicians don’t care and just want to get elected.

I hope that my worse fears about climate change will never be realised and that ways will be found to protect our fragile planet.

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