You can say climate change is not real, but my titties say otherwise. #BoobSweatAwareness
My boobs are sweaty. My forehead is dripping sweat like I just passed gas in a staff meeting, thinking it would be a silent-but-deadly, but it came out loud and wrong. These days, it feels like Virginia’s heat is trying to roast me alive. As a quasi middle-aged Black woman who’s had her fair share of steamy summers, let me tell you, it's not just a matter of feeling uncomfortable anymore—it's about trying to survive without melting into a puddle.
Growing up in Hampton, sure, it got hot. But nothing like this. Now, the heat waves are like that annoying relative who overstays their welcome. They just keep hanging around, from June all the way into September. And it’s not like we can just hide from it. We crank up the AC, find some shade, but this heat is relentless. And it’s not just me feeling it—my neighbors, my whole community, we're all frying like bacon out here. The elders who used to chill on their porches are now barricaded inside, terrified of what the heat might do to them.
When the weather folks start yammering about heat advisories, it's not just background noise. It's like a blaring alarm saying, “Stay inside or get toasted!” They tell us to drink water like it’s going out of style, stay indoors if we can, and check on our folks. But they should also be a big, flashing sign that says, “Hey, climate change is real, and it’s coming for us!” This isn't some sci-fi future threat; it’s right here, burning our buns off every summer.
The data backs up what we’re feeling. Over the past century, the average temperature in Virginia has risen by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit. This might not sound like much, but those couple of degrees can make a world of difference. The number of days with temperatures over 95 degrees has increased, and heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average summer temperature in Virginia has increased by about 1.5 degrees since 1970. That’s not just numbers on a page—that’s us, sweltering in our own homes.
I think about my kids. My poor tiny terrorists, growing up in a world where summer means hiding from the heat and praying the AC doesn’t quit. Playing outside isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s like playing tag with heatstroke. And I worry about the mess of a planet we’re leaving them. It’s not just about turning down the thermostat or driving less; it's about raising hell with those in power to get off their asses and do something. We’ve got to protect our communities and our planet for the babies coming up behind us and evil flourishes when good people do nothing.
My husband and I do what we can to keep our home cool. We’ve got fans running in every room, blackout curtains drawn tight, and the AC cranked up. But it’s a constant battle, and not everyone has the resources to keep cool. I worry about families who can’t afford to keep their homes air-conditioned or who live in housing that’s poorly insulated. For them, these heat advisories are more than just an inconvenience—they’re a serious health risk.
And let’s not forget about the outdoor workers. I see them out there, braving the scorching sun to keep our cities running—construction workers, landscapers, road crews. They don’t have the luxury of retreating indoors when the heat gets unbearable. They’re out there, day in and day out, risking heat exhaustion or worse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heat-related illnesses kill more than 600 people in the United States each year. That’s more than hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods combined. And with the heat rising, that number is only going to go up.
So, when I hear folks dismiss climate change as some distant, maybe-it’ll-happen thing, I want to grab them and point at the heat advisories. Look! These warnings are becoming as regular as my morning Starbucks addiction, and just as urgent. We can't afford to keep pretending this isn't happening. It’s real, it’s here, and it’s turning up the heat on all of us—literally. Every bead of sweat rolling down our faces under this relentless Virginia sun is a reminder. We’ve got to wake up and smell the climate change before we all end up crispy.
But it’s not just about surviving the summer. The impact of rising temperatures is felt year-round. Warmer winters might sound nice, but they bring their own set of problems. They mess with our crops, affecting everything from the peaches in the Shenandoah Valley to the tobacco fields that are part of Virginia’s heritage. Farmers are struggling to adapt to the changing conditions, and that affects all of us. Food prices go up, and the availability of fresh, local produce goes down.
The changing climate also means more extreme weather events. We’ve seen it with the hurricanes that barrel up the coast, bringing flooding and destruction. These storms are getting stronger, fueled by the warmer ocean waters. And when they hit, they leave a trail of devastation in their wake. I remember Hurricane Isabel back in 2003. It knocked out power for days, flooded homes, and left a mess that took weeks to clean up. Since then, we’ve had to deal with more powerful storms, each one seeming worse than the last.
And don’t get me started on the health impacts. Rising temperatures and increased air pollution go hand in hand. More heat means more smog, which is bad news for anyone with asthma or other respiratory issues. According to the Virginia Department of Health, the number of asthma-related emergency room visits spikes during heatwaves. My youngest has asthma, and I’ve seen firsthand how a bad air day can leave him struggling to breathe. It’s scary, and it’s something no parent should have to deal with.
All of this makes it crystal clear that climate change isn’t some abstract concept. It’s here, it’s happening, and it’s hitting home. And while the heatwaves and hurricanes are grabbing headlines, there are other, more insidious impacts that are quietly making life harder. Take ticks, for instance. Warmer winters mean they don’t die off like they used to, and that means more ticks in the spring and summer. Lyme disease cases are on the rise in Virginia, and it’s just one more thing we have to worry about.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all this, to feel like there’s nothing we can do to stop it. But we can’t afford to throw up our hands and give up. There are things we can do, actions we can take to make a difference. It starts with educating ourselves and our communities about the realities of climate change. It means voting for leaders who take this issue seriously and holding them accountable. It means making changes in our own lives, whether that’s driving less, using energy-efficient appliances, or supporting businesses that are committed to sustainability.
And it means speaking out. When heat advisories roll in and the temperature soars, we need to be loud and clear about why this is happening. We need to connect the dots for those who might not see the link between a hotter summer and the burning of fossil fuels. We need to share our stories, our experiences, and make it personal. Because it is personal. This is about our health, our safety, our quality of life.
For me, it’s also about faith. I believe we have a responsibility to care for the Earth, to be good stewards of the creation we’ve been given. Ignoring the signs of climate change, failing to act, is like turning our backs on that responsibility. We owe it to ourselves, our children, and future generations to take action now. It’s not going to be easy, and it’s not going to happen overnight. But every step we take, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction.
I think about my own childhood in Hampton, playing outside with my friends until the streetlights came on. I want my kids to have those same memories, to enjoy the simple pleasure of being outside without worrying about heatstroke. I want them to grow up in a world where summers are something to look forward to, not something to dread. And that means fighting for a future where we’ve tackled climate change head-on, where we’ve made the tough choices and done the hard work to protect our planet.
So, the next time you hear someone shrug off climate change, or say it’s not real, or that it’s not a big deal, tell them about these heat advisories. Tell them about the rising temperatures, the health risks, the economic impacts. Tell them about the kids who can’t play outside, the workers who risk their lives in the heat, the farmers struggling with unpredictable weather. Tell them about the ticks and the smog and the hurricanes. And tell them that we can do something about it. We have to. For our own sake, and for the sake of the generations to come.
Every sweat-soaked shirt, every breathless gasp, every scorching day is a reminder that climate change is here, and it’s here to stay unless we act. Let’s not wait until it’s too late. Let’s take those heat advisories as the warning they are and do something about it. Together, we can make a difference. We can turn down the heat on this crisis and build a better, cooler, more sustainable future for all of us. #TittieSweatAwareness #BoobsAgainstHeat #DontTorchMyBoobs