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| Europe |
| French Take the Heat, Thermally Speaking |
| 2003-08-20 |
| From the UK Daily Record, salt tablets recommended.... UNDERTAKERS in France estimate the recent heatwave killed more than 13,600 people. Funeral home giant OGF say almost 3500 people will have died in Paris alone by the end of the month. I would believe the undertakers before believing the govt, as they are on the ground floor, so to speak. Their figures are almost two-and-a-half times the French government’s heat- related death toll. Health minister Jean-Francois Mattei conceded on Monday that it was "plausible" that up to 5000 people may have died in France, almost twice as many as previously feared. However, he insisted that figure was a hypothesis and that the final toll was not expected for several weeks. The OGF toll is based on comparisons with last August’s death rate. If you cannot stand the heat, better exit Frogistan, toot sweet... |
| Posted by:Alaska Paul |
| #8 I used to hump block(masonry construction)in Tucson,Az.in my younger days.The block wieghed anywhere from 3lbs to 65lbs apiece.This was between 22years and 30 years old ,they kicked my ass then.At age 46 I do not think I could do it with the same stamina and effiency now.Hell I know I couldn't.I just laid a paver-patio and sidewalk and it kicked my ass. |
| Posted by: raptor 2003-8-21 7:41:08 AM |
| #7 Exactly, Stephen. Whaddya wanna bet that when the real numbers come out, it will be a few thousand, or less, that actually died from the heat. These people ever hear of air conditioning or maybe a fan? |
| Posted by: Uncle Joe 2003-8-20 11:22:19 PM |
| #6 Europe's problem is its large fraction of elderly. To expand on your example, I'll bet there were very few people over age 50 on those roofs with you. The reason age 65 was chosen as a retirement age (back in the late 1800's) was that hardly anyone then survived that long. Nowadays people don't absorb as much abuse as previous generations did, and they get better medical care, but everyone's resistance to physical stressors such as heat deteriorates as they get older. I'm sure when the statistics are assembled, most of the heat-related deaths in France will turn out to be among the elderly, the rest the non-elder chronically ill. Also, media coverage has changed a lot in the last 20 years. With increasing popular knowledge of medical issues, a surge in deaths from any cause gets publicity it wouldn't have gotten in previous decades. I'm sure Spain also has a large percentage of elderly, but that society is more used to hot summer weather than the French. The Spanish death rate probably went up also, but not nearly as much as in France. It would be interesting to learn about Iraqi elders (if there are any left) and how they cope with the dreaded Iraqi summers. |
| Posted by: Tresho 2003-8-20 11:17:43 PM |
| #5 Maybe this is French solution to pension crisis.Seriously,this kind of death toll in France and elsewhere in Europe indicates a major problem.To make money for college,I used to work as a semi-skilled carpenter in Houston,Texas during summers.One summer in early 80's we had 33 straight days of 100+ temp.( mom nature forgot to rain)and I was laying down plywood roofs for 2story apts.Aside from convincing myself I never wanted to work outdoors again,I sure don't remember anyone collapsing from heat(after work libations a differ matter),and I don't remember any horror stories on news of heat deaths.So what is Europe's problem?Bad karma? |
| Posted by: Stephen 2003-8-20 10:41:51 PM |
| #4 Conversely, if we have a cold winter coming up in Frogistan, will the French suffer alot of deaths related to hypothermia and pneumonia? I wonder. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-8-20 10:00:37 PM |
| #3 Just think how many lives could of been saved in France if the population had just taken a dialy shower or bath |
| Posted by: Someone who did NOT vote for William Proxmire 2003-8-20 9:56:57 PM |
| #2 note that Mattei resigned as well |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-8-20 9:51:00 PM |
| #1 If this keeps up, in a coupla months everybody in France will be dead. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-8-20 9:37:51 PM |