French officials have banned almost all outdoor gatherings in the Gironde Department in the southwest corner of the country, which includes the City of Bordeaux. Officials in the region have determined that a fierce heat wave that has caused record-high temperatures makes it unsafe for people to be outdoors.
So, instead of allowing citizens to judge for themselves if it’s too hot to be outside, French officials have chosen to issue an outright ban on outdoor events and, reportedly, some indoor events where air conditioning is not available. (Private weddings are still allowed.)
“Everyone now faces a health risk,” said local prefect Fabienne Buccio.
Outdoor events, including many “Resistance” celebrations, have been canceled due to the unusual (but not unprecedented) heat wave. Temperatures of up to 42.9℃ (109.2°F) have been recorded in the region, and weekend temperatures were expected to reach 40℃ (104℉) across Southern France.
Imagine a U.S. state canceling July 4 celebrations because it was too hot outside.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said that much of Southern France had been placed under a vigilance rouge (red alert) for extreme heat.
“Do not expose yourself to the weather and be extremely careful,” the Interior Ministry warned in a tweet.
Of course, climate alarmists quickly blamed the unusual heat wave on climate change. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) claimed that the heat wave foreshadows a near future filled with such events.
“As a result of climate change, heatwaves are starting earlier and are becoming more frequent and more severe because of record concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gasses. What we are witnessing today is a foretaste of the future,” the WMO said.
The European heat wave has affected not only France. Spain and Germany have also been dealing with unseasonable heat and accompanying wildfires, which are also being blamed on man-made climate change. Spain’s weather service, the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET), states that it’s the earliest heat wave in forty years in that nation. Météo-France, the French weather service, states that this is the earliest heat wave ever recorded.
Temperature records have also been broken in Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The European heat wave was expected to break as early as Sunday in many locations.
Are we now entering a period where such climate-induced lockdowns will become the norm? Climatistas were clearly envious of government-ordered lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Perhaps they now wish to duplicate that method for global warming, which many also consider a public-health issue.
Scottish television personality Gillian McKeith foresaw such climate lockdowns back in March, when British citizens were encouraged to work from home three days per week and engage in “car-free” Sundays as a way to combat the “Putin energy crisis.”
“Mark my words….. before you can say ‘climate’ they will be locking you down.. IF YOU LET THEM! This is not over by a long shot…you will see…#resist. Brits told work from home three days a week and ban cars on Sundays to beat Putin energy crisis,” McKeith tweeted.
The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) “10 Point Plan to Cut Oil Use” already championed many of these energy-saving measures. For instance, the IEA suggests “Car Free Sundays,” which they believe will save 290 kh/day. The IEA also suggests that citizens “Work from home up to three days a week,” which they say will save 500 kh/day, and that private cars only be allowed access on roads in bigger cities on alternate days.
So it seems that even without the ability to frighten the masses into behavior that they consider “necessary” to combat the scourge of man-made global warming, elites worldwide won’t have any problem mandating that climate-alarmist approved behavior. This particular “climate lockdown” in France is just a taste of the measures power-hungry government actors may turn to in the near future should we allow them.
