One Campfire at a Time: A Personal Reflection on Summer 2026
By Selce's Pelmo Sherpa
We were all eagerly looking forward to our camping trip this August.
From toasting marshmallows, to warming our hands and talking late in the evening, a campfire was always a vital part of the experience. And part of the memories I’ve always wanted my two daughters to have.
Except this year, there was no campfire.
England had experienced an extraordinary period of dry weather, including where we were in North Devon. It was the driest July on record. And then by mid-August, 71% of England was officially in drought.
The local fire service warned this meant higher wildfire risk – even a single spark could become an inferno.
This summer, we all felt the impact of climate change. Not through pictures on TV, but all around us. At home or on holiday.
Our missing campfire was a reminder that climate change can quietly change the things we take for granted. And perhaps such small changes can motivate us to act more strongly together to fight them.
Climate action is not just about national targets or technology.
It’s also about changes we can make where we live, with everyone around us.
Small changes matter, community action matters.
And I believe, there is still reason to hope.
Pelmo is Selce’s Administrator for Climate & Retrofit.
She supports day-to-day operations across teams including HR, IT, marketing and finance. She lives in Greenwich and is passionate about contributing to the climate change effort and to her community. Part of a collection of posts where we, Selce team members, share our thoughts on building a cleaner, fairer future.
