On Wednesday, June 5, we ‘celebrated’ World Environment Day with temperatures soaring to 44°C in Cyprus.
In Cyprus, we may be somewhat accustomed to such heat, however, this is not a localised incident.
The entire planet is burning up. And when it’s not on fire, it’s flooding.
May was the 12th consecutive month of record-high temperatures globally.
The global average temperatures are 1.52°C above historical averages and 1.63°C higher than pre-industrial levels.
We have surpassed the 1.5°C threshold that scientists had set as a threat to life on Earth.
“We are playing Russian roulette with our planet,” said United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. “We need an exit ramp off this highway to climate hell, and the truth is, we have control of the wheel. The battle to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees will be won or lost in the 2020s – under the watch of leaders today” (and seeing who they are and their priorities, we can’t hope for much, we say).
In India, temperatures exceeded 50°C this week, causing hundreds of heat-related deaths, while other parts of the country faced devastating floods. Finland is experiencing prolonged high temperatures. Sicily has declared a state of emergency, with water being rationed. Barcelona is considering shipping in water. Southern Europe is facing a severe fire threat.
40% of the Earth’s land is at risk of desertification, with pastures drying up, animals dying, agriculture under threat, ecosystems collapsing…
A study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany highlights that temperature rise could reduce global GDP by 17% by 2050, equivalent to $38 trillion annually, while climate protection policies would cost far less.
The future looks particularly grim for the Mediterranean region, which is threatened by drought.
Sicily’s situation could be a lesson for us, since, beyond the greenhouse effect, there are other factors contributing to drought.
Sicily has drained 95% of its wetlands for urban or agricultural development (if that tells us anything).
Environmentalists and activists emphasise that the solution is not adding more concrete, as new farming methods and ways of thinking about water usage are necessary.
We must give nature the first say again through restoration.
The UN calls us GenerationRestoration, yet we continue to build.