If you live long enough history really does repeat itself. Does anyone remember the speech by our President during the energy crisis in 1979? I was only 13, but I remember the fireside address President Carter gave in his now infamous sweater. He laid out his energy program and asked us to don a sweater and turn down our thermostats to conserve fuel during the winter.
Fast forward to Italy 2006 and the Italian Government's reaction to the threat of not having enough gas to get Italy safely through the cold wave. The Italian government's response to the present crisis seems very similar to Jimmy's, but this issue is too complicated and political, I dare not tackle it on my simple blog. Read the article and the link to the speech, you will see the parallels are there. Click here and read on.
Here are a couple of uniquely Italian responses to the crisis...
Meanwhile the national farmers association told consumers it was OK to eat 10-20% more calories during the cold snap, which is expected to last another ten days. The national paediatricians association told parents to keep kids indoors as much as possible and wrap them up "in onion-like layers" if they ventured outdoors.
According to some dieticians, Italians would actually benefit from lowering the temperatures in their homes because they could burn off excess fat to keep their bodies at a steady 37C degrees.
Even in the midst of an energy crisis, Italians find a way to relate the looming doom to eating more and keeping down your waist size, and to children. The two, out of the three, national obsessions. What could be said about soccer and the energy crisis anyway?
Me, I am snug as a bug in a rug here in my toasty apartment. The sun is shining and it is +7 degrees in Chiavari. I would be happy when the heat is turned down in my building. As many of you know, my home is ALWAYS too hot and I ALWAYS have a window open! Such a waste in times like these.
Keep warm!
Krista
No comments:
Post a Comment