“Krone” reporter Robert Fröwein walks through the city and talks to people in Vienna about their experiences, their thoughts, their worries, their fears. Everyday stories straight from the heart of Vienna.
It used to be said that if you don’t know what to do with the other person, you talk about the weather. What has served as an ideal basis for innocent small talk for decades has now developed into a globally controversial topic that can no longer be discussed without drooling. While people once loved to joke about the coming rain and the resulting downsides in everyday life, these days it can quickly happen that the person you’re talking to – from Lena Schilling to Donald Trump to the Illuminati – is looking for someone who can blame for the unstoppable climate change and with that the usual looseness of an informal conversation, while his manners and the level of conversation throw him into the next corner. If you’re not careful, you’ll soon find yourself in a set table situation, where the oft-quoted hackles tend to fly low.
A few days ago, early summer made itself felt for the first time in Vienna. Ten degrees plus, overnight. The cold, wet nights and record amounts of rain that caused many rivers in the country to flood seemed to be over for the time being. A reason for sun worshipers to be happy, because the outdoor swimming pools are slowly opening up, you don’t have to wade in the mud at the upcoming music festivals and that well-deserved glass of wine after a strenuous day at work is better enjoyed in a casual T-shirt than in a bulky down jacket. Of course, there’s a fine line between unbearable summer heat and what feels like cold, but life can be more relaxed when temperatures are often warmer.
But where there is summer, there are also heat waves and after last May was again the warmest – globally speaking – since meteorological records began, everyday experts are also growing like mushrooms again. Only recently did I witness a U4 debate that started with a delicate exploration of common barbecue conditions and almost degenerated into murder and manslaughter. The reason for this: climate change. The part of the discourse duo that denied this joked that his counterpart, by turning on the grill, would increase CO₂ pollution indefinitely – with a sharp undertone, of course. This science-inclined man responded, not very satisfactorily, with: “As a driver of a combustion engine, I prefer to be cautious with my judgment.” You can imagine that oral communication is increasingly losing quality as a result.
Granted, the current situation in the world no longer allows much offense when it comes to climate issues, but people are increasingly craving casual and as light-hearted entertainment as possible. While some people stubbornly hold on to their – of course, the only valid – opinion, there are more and more people who avoid such conversations or want to speak about a subject as freely as possible without this immediately leading to amateurish back and forth. a global political level. Rising temperatures also fuel inner unrest and impatience, but especially with the heat waves approaching, it is good to keep a cool head and not immediately turn the escalation screw. No matter how serious the climate problems are, sometimes you just want to have a nice chat. Without instruction, without analysis, without discourse. Like in the summers back then.
Source: Krone
I am George Kunkel, an author working for Today Times Live. I specialize in opinion pieces and cover stories that are both informative and thought-provoking – helping to shape public discourse on key issues. My work is regularly featured across the network’s many platforms, including print media and social media.
