What amazes me over and over again is that everyone in Motovun I talk to about the change in weather over the last ten years agrees with me. And wholeheartedly. They also agree with me that the change is speeding up. The heatwave we are suffering from at the moment was unimaginable in 2002, when I bought my house. And so were the violent storms that cool the air every now and then, albeit not for long. What also amazes me over and over again is that the change in weather is still contested by some scientists here and there, including Croatia. How is it possible that so-called common people are so much closer to the facts than scientists of all descriptions? And how much longer will it take for the scientists to catch up with common folks? This is an interesting question for science, as well. It falls behind when faced with change. And the faster the change, the more it falls behind. Wait a minute, though, this sounds like a new scientific law! As for the proof, I leave it to the humble scientists.

Addendum (August 30, 2016)

The new scientific law is right on the money, but this piece needs a few words about the people from Motovun and its environs. Most of them have grown up in villages and hamlets surrounded by gardens, vineyards, orchards, olive groves, and woods. They know a great deal about agriculture, but they are also close to animal husbandry and even hunting. Simply put, the effect of the weather on all these activities is not foreign to them. For all these reasons, changes in weather patterns do not escape them easily. By comparison with an ever-larger number of people living in urban conglomerates across the globe, the people from Motovun and its environs appreciate climate change much more readily because they are so much closer to nature. As for the new scientific law, chances are that most scientists nowadays come from urban areas. Their appreciation of climate change thus lacks the visceral dimension. Once again, though, I leave the old proof to the humble scientists.