Climate Clock Ticks: Heatwaves
Sarah Ramming, editor-in-chief
Both Europe and the contiguous U.S. have had their highest recorded temperatures through July and August, resulting in devastating consequences. Deaths, wildfires and heat-related illnesses have skyrocketed, and people all around the world are wondering how they can get some cool relief.
The heat throughout the U.S. has been record-breaking. July averaged 76.89 degrees across the states, beating the 1936 Dust Bowl July record by an eighth of a degree, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Though to Georgians, 76 degrees is mild compared to our normal 88 or highs of 95 that make most summers impossible without substantial air conditioning.
Europe has also seen the effects of temperatures rising. Without the sanctuary of Air Conditioning (A.C.) in most places, people are subjected to temperatures of over 70 degrees and close to 90 degrees in some places. However, this rising heat is a continuation of a concerning trend. Climate change has been pushing the global average temperature higher and with it, heatwaves have increased in frequency and intensity.
Especially in Europe, the heat becomes intolerable. The death toll has only risen as more succumb to heatstroke in cities and even drownings as they try to cool down in unsupervised bodies of water.
“Over just the past 4 years, heat has claimed more than 200,000 lives across the EU and its associated countries,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional director of Europe. "Millions more people being [are being] affected physically and mentally."
Their infrastructure cannot combat the heat, as Europe is more northern than the U.S and historically colder. Pavement in Germany’s highways buckled as the concrete did not have room to expand as far as the heat pushed it. Some public transportation systems, like trams in Prague and trains in Budapest, are either not equipped with A.C. or the systems broke after reaching peak temperatures. Europe's population is also on average older, and that combination can lead to higher fatalities among the older generations.
Yet, injuries and deaths from the heat itself are not the only ones. With the increase in temperature, the risk of droughts and fires rises, some leading to massive wildfires that rage for days, destroying natural habitats and damaging homes. Wildfires in Spain and France have been rampaging through farmland, leaving many without their homes or livelihood.
"Last year, similar conditions created Europe’s worst wildfire season in history, with more than 2 million hectares burned by September," according to climate reporting news source Grist. This year is on track to beat it though, and droughts in some areas have caused concern. Traveling tourists have been forced to evacuate due to the fires and may try to move their vacations to colder destinations.
To combat this deadly heat, Europe is rushing to improve by working on early warning systems for heat and improving the accuracy of local forecasting. Many groups are working together to improve Europe's infrastructure, improving the electrical grid to support more A.C. units and helping cities adapt to the increased risk of droughts and wildfires. Plus, all over the world, climate action groups are working to support fire-damaged ecosystems, as well as prevent droughts and wildfires through soil restoration and reforestation. Everyone around the world is still working on climate change, no matter how hidden it may seem at times.
"To long term, solve those effects in Europe that is effecting everybody worldwide, we really have to come together and do something- put in regulations- and cause some global change for the better," said Sofia Parker, president of Johns Creek Climate Leaders Acting Worldwide (JC CLAW).
Climate change has increased Europe's risk of wildfires and droughts, which leads to deaths from heatstroke and fire-based destruction. With no A.C. in most places and most people used to colder average temperatures, the entire world has to find solutions through conservation efforts and scientific advancements.
