Comments

The Wrath of the Gods — 13 Comments

  1. There’s a certain Faustian pact at play – those parts of the world with amazingly attractive climates tend to be the same parts of the world which suffer frequent and serious earthquakes and eruptions. Those of us who love to moan about the ‘moderate’ climate we endure in northern Europe tend to forget that, as part of our own Faustian pact of avoiding the worst of the planet’s excesses, we pay the price with our moistly miserable weather most of the time. You pays yer money and you takes yer choice.

    That said, I sympathise greatly with those whose homes and livelihoods can be so instantly eradicated in that way, especially those who had little to start with – the motivation to start again and rebuild must take guts, especially when you know it can all happen again anytime.

    • I have always said that about Ireland [and the rest of western Europe]. We may have miserable and unpredictable weather but we have never had a real earthquake or volcanic eruption. Likewise I only remember two hurricanes and have never seen a tornado. And a “severe” winter is six inches of snow.

      It amuses me that America declares itself “God’s Own Country” [and God Bless America] only for it to suffer just about all the extremes!

  2. I’m in agreement with you here Mudplugger. I’m not sure there are any ‘safe’ places. Between weather events, wildfires, the occasional volcano, (and of course bricks falling from buildings for no apparent reason).
    Enjoy today at the fullest, just in case.

    • Half way up a mountain in Wicklow? The worst we get here is a puddle in the front garden and a catastrophe is when I can’t get the car out of the gate because of some snow. I do indeed count my blessings on a daily basis.

  3. Our Goldilocks weather gives lots of reason to winge. Or should that be whinge.
    I always am amazed that immigrants from these mild isles went all over the world.
    What must they have thought of their first winter in the Canadian West prairie?
    Minus 40. f or c is the same.

    • I equally wonder why they’d want to settle in the UK or Ireland. It’s hardly for the sunshine or the cost of living? Of course I’m not allowed to say that it might be for the free handouts.

  4. Watching the volcano, it is not hard to imagine how ideas of Hell developed in earlier times.

    There was an excellent television drama a few years ago about the eruption of the Yellowstone volcano and what would happen

    • Not just the idea of Hell but even ascribing special gods to volcanoes. They are certainly awe inspiring events.

      If the Yellowstone Caldera collapses we are all fucked. That would truly be a Great Extinction Event.

  5. I live on the slopes of a volcano… although it last erupted about 600 million years ago. I feel relatively safe.

    But in other areas people live where there is land to farm and, as a consequence of previous eruptions, fertile soil for good crops. Tomorrow’s meal is always going to be more important than the risk of an eruption decades into the future.

    • Very true. Another great example is farmers settling on flood plains for the rich soil. They then wonder why they get flooded.

Hosted by Curratech Blog Hosting