Rhodes: portent of an extreme future?
With temperatures soaring to over 45 degrees and fierce winds, wildfires are raging uncontrollably in Greece. Worst affected by the fires is the popular holiday island of Rhodes, from which hundreds of tourists are now being evacuated. The press sees a red-hot warning signal.
Society at a crossroads
De Standaard appeals to reason:
“In our minds we know all too well that the climate crisis will not just go away. ... The success of the climate battle will ultimately be decided by how we deploy our political and financial capital. Do we work on (European) laws that protect the tropical forests in Brazil, Africa and Asia? Or do we continue to believe politicians who think they can win votes by denying the climate crisis? Do we support entrepreneurs who have the courage to spend their billions on planet-friendly technologies, or do we continue to naively believe the CEOs of oil companies and airlines who claim that the world will stop turning without them?”
Brainless humanity
Hürriyet has its doubts about human intelligence:
“Global warming was screaming in our faces that it was on its way. We were warned, summits were held. 'We can't go on like this, we will lose this world', they said. Nobody listened. We always claim that humans are the most intelligent species in the world. But by God, that's a lie, an absolute lie. We are a mindless species that is damaging the place it inhabits, its own home, and bringing about the end not only for itself but also for all the living beings in its environment. We have destroyed this beautiful world and the living beings in it. Tomorrow we will burn.”
Lure holidaymakers with promise of cool weather
Savon Sanomat is convinced that tourists could be increasingly drawn to more northern climes in the future:
“How exactly the annual fires in southern Europe will affect tourism in the years to come remains to be seen. Up to now the north has praised its pristine and unspoiled nature. But in future it could be the cooler climate that attracts tourists. ... A good start would be for us to take advantage of what is on offer close by when we go on holiday. Although Finnish summers are notoriously short and sometimes rainy, they offer an alternative to the scorching heat of southern Europe and the problems that it entails.”
Hit the brakes!
Pravda warns:
“Overcrowded beaches are like anthills and anything but places where you can enjoy peace and tranquility. Is there no alternative way to relax than bathing in the sea? If what you want is warmth and sunshine, nowadays we no longer need to leave our latitude. It's as hot here as some places on the Adriatic. People are never satisfied, they fight for even more warmth. ... The fires are a warning to humanity. It's time to hit the brakes, people! You are not the masters of the earth, but only guests. What more will it take for us to finally grasp this? What catastrophe will make us stop, think, and change course?”
The world is becoming a disaster zone
Being better prepared for such emergencies can help but it's not the ultimate solution, In.gr points out:
“Everything indicates that we will keep on experiencing such disasters. ... We can talk until we're blue in the face about how to deal with these new conditions: more fire-fighting equipment, more staff, better evacuation plans, more effective training. But if that's all we do it's like saying that disasters are now the 'new normal'. ... By that logic, things will continue to get worse and worse, and we will simply be better prepared. But if that's the case, in a few decades much of the planet will be an uninhabitable disaster zone.”