The heatwaves we have experienced this summer will become increasingly frequent, according to the WMO -World Meteorological Organization-, and the solution is far from installing an air conditioner, a well-known contributor to global warming..
Although there is no single, precise definition of the term “heatwave”, we know it refers to episodes of abnormally high temperatures that last several days and affect a significant part of our geography. This extreme heat brings natural disasters such as devastating wildfires, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, drought or torrential rains, major impacts on agriculture, a worsening food crisis, air pollution, and significant effects on health -lack of restful sleep at night, fatigue, hypertension, hyperthermia and the constant struggle to maintain a stable internal temperature-. This complex and worrying scenario is not a warning, it is happening, and we are the protagonists.
And yes! it’s true, we happened to live through a “booming” era of resources, or so we believed, full of information, pseudo-opportunities and pseudo-statistics, but we weren’t smart enough, or we didn’t want to see what was coming, and we have acted out of balance, without care or remorse, dependent on others -energy-wise, for example- and in complete indifference toward our source of life, the environment.
Nature, in all its diversity, is the greatest asset we have. Until we understand this and truly take it to heart, we will hardly change the current scenario. How political and economic decisions are weighed will be a vital and crucial opportunity in the short term, with an eye on the future. But living from, with, in and as nature must be the way everyone faces this coming future, with respect, a sense of belonging and identity, being part of it. .
That’s why, before installing an air conditioner, check whether there are other ways to improve the comfort of your indoor spaces. Passive measures or ones with minimal energy consumption, which will reduce the impact on the environment and benefit us all.
Yes, it’s true, the cool of autumn has arrived, but the inexorable passage of time will bring us to next summer, which, according to experts, will be even hotter. The decade we are living in is the decisive decade.
