IT IS NOT THE WEATHER, IT IS CLIMATE-CHANGE

It is bitter cold outside. Minus 10'Celsius, or even more. Bright, blue-skyed days and deep-dark nights. In the Netherlands their inhabinates are getting obsessed with ice and skating. This too stems from the struggle of the Republic against Spain in the 16/17e century.

We are talking the start of the “mini Ice-Age”, which lasted into the 18e century. Lower average temperatures and freezing winters. Many Dutch artists painted frozen rivers and canals filled with skaters; old and young playing games or drinking warm beverages.

But this was recreational.

Spain had invaded the Republic. They conquered Antwerp and threatened to do the same with major cities in the West and South (Alkmaar, Haarlem and Breda). Holland is a waterrich country and this fact caused in winter that the rebels were superior. Why? Becausers they were expert-skaters and the Spanish were not. Almost freely they could move soldiers and materials. Skating made them win the 80-year War against Philip II of Spain. This superiority still can be seen on the Winter Olympics. The Dutch win most of the gold medals in the skating-competition, like the Nordic people do in skiing. A German poet once wrote that, when the end of the world would arrive, he would move to the Netherlands. Over there everything, including the End, is happening 50 years later.

The Nederlands, and Belgium, have recently, 21^st Century, been spared from natural disasters. Some flooding and some storms. But on the weatherfront it has been quiet and the Lowlanders live on quite easy.

This is peanuts compared to the world around us. Extreme cold in Siberia, the USA and Canada, hailstorms and tornadoes (Filippines, USA and Italy), sinkholes (world wide), flooding ((China, USA, England), massive earthquakes (Japan, USA, China) and erupting volcanoes (Indonesia. Mexico).

Areas are struck by disaster over and over again. Rebuilding and continuing a civilised life is impossible. People are fleeing. Forced mass-migration, driven by despair, to be added by the fugitives because of war, etnic violence and hunger. 65 million,

and counting.

But this doesn't interests the Dutch. Their life focusses on ice and skating. It is 10 o'clock in the morning. At this moment they will be skating, where possible. And their mind will be at ease. The Dutch Weatherreports create a bubble by ignoring the continuous struggle for life around us.