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The heatwaves we experienced during the last days of June across much of Europe are not an isolated event. They have triggered health alerts, school closures, restrictions on outdoor activities, and enormous pressure on emergency services. What was exceptional just a few decades ago is now becoming part of our daily lives. And yet, the political response remains insufficient. Various scientific and meteorological organizations warn that Europe is the fastest-warming continent and that heatwaves will become increasingly frequent and intense.
What is most worrying is the silence. We hear recommendations to drink water, avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day, and protect the most vulnerable. All of this is necessary, but there is hardly any talk of addressing the root causes of the problem. Very few political leaders take advantage of these events to propose urgent measures to combat climate change.
It is equally surprising that a segment of society still denies an increasingly evident reality. For years, disinformation driven by certain economic interests, especially those linked to fossil fuels, has contributed to sowing doubt about a widely supported scientific consensus. Meanwhile, emissions continue to rise, and the profits of some large energy companies continue to grow.
We live as if everything will return to normal when summer ends. We wait for milder temperatures and put the problem aside until the next heat wave. But the climate doesn't follow political calendars or news cycles. Every year we break new temperature records, and each summer seems to surpass the last. Scientists warn that these extreme weather events are now much more likely due to global warming caused by human activity.
I confess that writing about this topic is somewhat tiring. Not because solutions are lacking. Renewable energies, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, and ecosystem protection are well-established paths. The real problem is the lack of collective will to accept that climate change is already here and demands courageous decisions.
I think about my grandchildren and the world they will inherit. I worry that they will suffer consequences that we still have time to mitigate, but to do so we need a more conscious society and leaders capable of looking beyond the next election cycle.
Extreme heat is no longer a warning of the future. It is a present-day reality. The question is simple: are we going to continue adapting to ever-increasing temperatures each summer, or will we finally begin to address the root causes?
From what I can see, it's highly doubtful. What a shame!
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