Heat and drought in Europe: what can help?
With Europe facing record temperatures, drought and wildfires, calls for measures to tackle the increasingly tangible effects of climate change are growing louder. In the Czech Republic, the National Coalition to Combat Drought has been reconvened and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has announced plans to build 20 new water reservoirs. Berlin is also discussing an action plan. Europe's press examines the various proposals.
Big consumers must ration water, too
Large companies should not be exempt from water rationing, argues Új Szó:
“In Europe, restrictions mostly affect the daily lives of ordinary citizens. This is because the authorities often deliberately protect industry, meaning that factories and businesses with high water consumption frequently enjoy exemptions. Outrageous. It's as if they wanted to make people believe that all this is in their interest, because protecting production helps to safeguard jobs. That's ridiculous. Companies that use large amounts of water generate such huge profits that it would do them no harm at all if they were shut down by the authorities during periods of drought during the one or two heatwaves each year.”
Anti-inflation climate policy
Not only high energy prices, but also the rising cost of food due to climate change are driving inflation, says Avvenire:
“The response must therefore tackle both fronts. In the energy sector, the aim is to structurally reduce dependence on fossil fuels and geopolitical bottlenecks. In agriculture, adaptation, more effective water management, innovations in seed technology, insurance against extreme weather events and diversification of supply chains are needed. ... The green transition and adaptation to climate change are not just tools for reducing emissions and environmental damage. They have become key components of a European strategy for price stability.”
Forced by the people to take action
Český rozhlas welcomes the measures announced by the Czech prime minister:
“The prime minister has finally realised that the Czech Republic is suffering from an unprecedented drought. And he says he wants to resolve the crisis. He wants to do something about it. That's good news. ... Babiš's video was clearly a response to letters from people who fear droughts and heat. They have realised that we are in the midst of a climate crisis. At the same time, they see that the coalition's Motorists' Party has been downplaying climate change and denying there is a crisis. When the well runs dry and the streams dry up, it suddenly becomes clear that this is not the time for ideology or jokes. Something must be done.”
Implement the polluter-pays principle
For WOZ, it's clear where the main responsibility lies:
“Around 180 state-owned and private corporations are responsible for roughly 70 percent of the emissions from fossil fuels and cement production since the start of industrialisation around 1750. ... It goes without saying that these corporations must finally be held liable for the damage they have caused. ... What's more, they should be required to pay appropriate compensation for their continuing greenhouse gas emissions, so that future damage is covered. This would immediately and radically change their business practices, because they would be forced to bear the costs they incur themselves, in full accordance with the polluter-pays principle. ... Yet although this seems entirely logical, it appears virtually impossible to implement politically – almost utopian.”
Back to coal is not the answer
Following the shutdown of the Romanian Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant due to low water levels in the Danube, the Social Democrats (PSD) and the right-wing populist AUR party have passed measures that could delay the decommissioning of certain coal-fired power stations. Deutsche Welle's Romanian service warns:
“A return to coal will not bring the independence claimed by the PSD and AUR. On the contrary, it will pollute the environment, and that will pose health risks. ... Coal-fired energy is therefore neither cheap nor patriotic, as the sovereigntists in both parties claim. The PSD and AUR's bill on a return to coal makes no mention whatsoever of the 2.14 billion euros that Romania is receiving from the EU for its gradual phase-out – the third-largest allocation in the EU.”
Prevention as a worthwhile investment
Forestry scientist and environmental expert Nikitas Mazis writes on The opinion:
“Greece cannot control the climate, but it can control how it prepares for it. Prevention is not a cost factor but an investment – and indeed the most cost-effective one available for protecting the country's natural capital. The experiences we have gathered to date reveal a recurring pattern: incidents that result in major disasters are rarely attributable to a single mistake at the moment the fire breaks out. They are the result of a chain of decisions – or deferred decisions – which began long before. The real battle to protect Greece's forests is decided before the first spark is lit.”
Even adaptation has its limits
Living organisms can adapt, but not if changes occur too quickly, geologist and science journalist Mario Tozzi points out in La Stampa:
“Which scenario do we want to adapt to? In 2015 it was agreed in Paris that a rise in global average atmospheric temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius was the absolute limit – the threshold beyond which scientists recommended we should not go because it would stretch ecosystems beyond their biological limits. … But above all, we are crossing these physical and biological limits for Homo sapiens and other living beings so rapidly that no one will be able to adapt – not even those with access to extraordinary technologies.”