Posted on 08/22/2004 7:22:28 PM PDT by quidnunc
Paris – Rule No. 1: Don't go out on the street between noon and 4 p.m. Rule No. 2: Take a shower or bath a couple of times a day. Rule No. 3: Drink as much as you can, even if you're not thirsty.
No, these are not instructions for soldiers patrolling the baking streets of Baghdad. They are part of an aggressive move by the French government to avoid a repeat of the catastrophic loss of life that occurred during last year's heat wave.
Last August, almost 15,000 people died in France after the country was hit by the highest temperatures in 50 years. During the day temperatures reached as high as 104 degrees F. for two straight weeks. In Paris, 150 people a day were hospitalized. The crisis predominantly affected the elderly.
"Last year everyone was taken by surprise," says an official at the French Red Cross, who asked not to be named. August being the holiday season, most of the administration was on vacation. Hospitals had a shortage of beds and were understaffed.
While no heat waves are currently in sight, a new report by the European Environment Agency says that a change in weather patterns will lead to longer summers, warmer winters, and more droughts and precipitation in the future.
Philippe Douste-Blazy, minister of public health, presented his long-awaited plan of action on May 5 this year. His goal was to avoid the criticism the government received last year, saying politicians acted too slowly.
Mr. Douste-Blazy says that most care facilities for the elderly have been furnished with air conditioners. Before, only 12 percent of the public residences for the elderly were equipped with them.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
I get the obvious in first!!
This will fail because it asks French people to bathe regularly. We know those people can't fathom washing more than once a month!!!!
They're screwed.
"Rule No. 2: Take a shower or bath a couple of times a day. "
Someone has to tell them this?
A cultural revolution.
Rule No. 2: Take a shower or bath a couple of times a day.
They'll double up on Rule 3 to skip Rule 2.
Get a good book, stand in the shady area of the pool, and drink plenty of wine/beer while you enjoy noon to 4:00pm every day.
That was damn funny!
I want my global warming and I want it now!!!
What was "France"?
I lived through the "canicule" last summer.
You can't imagine how difficult it was to move, even to breathe. It is very rare here and people were totally unprepared to face it. Air conditioning is expensive and most people, even the very wealthy don't own one.
I'm not excusing those who abandoned their elderly, it's just that you can't understand the extent of the discomfort by claiming that it was hotter in TX. It had something to do with the atmosphere and pollution, the air was so heavy people lost the energy to drink etc.
I guess it's just impossible to discuss intelligently anything occurring in France here on FR.
The time of the "Canicule" was a terrible one in France. I have good friends living there and communicated with them regularly during that time. I spent six weeks in France in the summer of 1997 and enjoyed my time immensely, riding around on a motorbike, staying at abandoned chateaus, watching the sun set at the Dune Du Pyla, and spending time just relaxing in the beautiful environs of Paris. My current partner lives in Paris.
A lot of people enjoy criticising the French. In all countries there is good people and bad people. No nation is perfect as at this time in human history.
Peace between the nations is possible. Love of one's country of birth does not mean hatred of another country.
Vive La France !
In recent years we've seen some of those graves desecrated, and watch as France, who had lucrative financial dealings with Saddam, do everything possible to prevent America from defending itself.
I guess it's just impossible to discuss France and not consider those facts.
No thanks.
Heave La France
Did he make those on a PC??
Yep. He got the bumper sticker blanks from an office supply store...it looks pretty good.
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