We carry nothing more and nothing less than a week of heat wave, the second wave in a month, with about 400 dead people related to heat, temperature record in many cities, innumerable fires, some of them with fatalities, the reservoirs in critical condition due to the absence of rains and the absent climate change in the debate of the state of the nation.
The president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, made two references to climate change in defense of his management, which had to seem sufficient to opposition parties because none underlined the bad perspectives that science predicts for the Iberian Peninsula in climate matters.
In March of this year, the 2022 climate change report was presented: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, for its acronym in English) indicating as a summary that Spain will be more dry and poor if global warming is not stopped and if Spain does not adapt to the new climatic reality.
For those who still do not quite understand that it is climate change and how it affects us, we recommend this simple video of the YouTube channel " Ecology Verde ".
The high temperatures of this second heat wave of this year, which is affecting all of Europe, according to scientists, are totally abnormal. The climatic models at the beginning of the century predicted 40 degrees temperatures for Great Britain by 2050, and the reality is that tomorrow London is expected to reach 40 degrees of temperature.
According to the estimates of the Carlos III Health Institute, between July 10 and 15, 360 people's heat wave and in the June heat wave were 714. These figures do not seem that they arouse any political sensitivity. Neither the City Council, nor delegation of the Government, José Luis Martínez Almeida nor Mercedes González put a message of condolences in social networks nor even in front of deceased who have appeared in the media, such as the cleaning worker of Madrid who died on Saturday by a heat stroke while working in the streets, or the two dead people, a pastor and a brigadist in the fire of Zamora.
What can we expect in the future?
If we do not remedy climate change, more heat can only be expected, more fires and unfortunately, more deceased related to climate change.
With the figures of deaths of these days the forecasts of a study of the International Environmental Research and Public Health magazine that indicate that in 2050 the number of people who will die annually by heat in Spain will reach 8,000.
If you are interested in learning what you can do to fight climate change, we show you a list of ideas.
1. Plant trees in your community
Planting trees is a fun activity for family and friends equally. Contact your local government to find places where trees are needed. In Spain there are some associations dedicated to planting trees, such as reforest . Its activity focuses on the framework of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and on the Sustainable Development Goals 13 (Climate Action) and 15 (conservation of terrestrial ecosystems). His main concern is the recovery of vegetation and the fight against desertification. They have great experience in education, training, volunteer, environmental communication and study and conservation programs.
2. Participate in sustainable transport
Transport is responsible for the largest portion of all greenhouse gas emissions, about 30%. On average, the transfer of a person per vehicle forms a quarter of all kilometers traveled. To easily fight climate change, make a group to go and return to work. And if you want to go one step later in an electric vehicle. In case you cannot, it is always better to use public transport.
3. Collect funds for renewable energy projects
There are many projects to help the environment, and many of these focus on renewable energy sources. Renewable energy can help reduce fossil fuels, thus reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere. A collection of funds begins to gather donations to support these projects, and share your collection of funds on social networks to increase consciousness about renewable energy.
4. support efforts to conserve water
Do your part to reduce your daily water consumption, and help save the planet. Reducing your water consumption means that less energy is required to treat and transport water, resulting in less greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere. That your daily shower (and not bath) is 10 minutes or less, use a dishwasher instead of hand washing, make complete casts in your washing machine ...
5. Help in environmental education
You can volunteer from the Spanish Environmental Education Association . This organization has the mission of educating about the facts of climate change, and empowers others to take actions. The opportunities to be voluntary exist throughout the country.
6. Involve your community to reduce emissions
Make other community members get involved and approach the local government to create a climate action plan. A climate action plan is a route map that your city can use to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time. Another way to fight climate change at the local level is to join one of the localized actions that WWF or Greenpeace in Spain. They create help groups to act in certain areas of the entire Spanish territory.
7. Choose environmental products for your home
Buying products with lower electrical and water consumption can help reduce pollution and other damage to the environment. Choosing natural cleaning and personal toilet products also reduces the amount of harmful chemicals that are released in the oceans and the atmosphere. Find products with recyclable or recycled wrappers.
8. Eat to save the planet
Organic food requires up to 50% less energy to produce it than its conventional counterparts. Buying local food reduces carbon footprint, since the energy required to transport it is greatly reduced. Another thing you can try is to simply eat vegetarian one day a week since it reduces almost 907 kilograms of CO2 emissions every year.
9. Talk about reversing climate change
I know the voice with your friends and family about your efforts to reduce climate change. The more you share your efforts for a cause that interests you, the easier it will be to raise awareness about problems that matter. You never know who may want to join you and also help to reverse climate change.
