Global climate change warning from a Greek expert
Kostas Laguvardos, Director of Research at the National Observatory of Athens, assessed the effects of the climate crisis on Greece and the region.
Laguvardos, who has recently been in the Greek press and assessed the predictions that the hottest summer in recent years will be in the country in 2023, said: “We anticipate that this summer may be hot as temperatures have been below above normal every year. summer in recent years, but it is not possible to say for sure that this summer will be extremely hot, ”he said.
“WE MUST BE PREPARED FOR THE WORST SCENARIO”
Laguvardos warned that long-term high temperatures and drought-plagued weather conditions could lead to large-scale uncontrollable wildfires.
Drawing attention to the low amount of rainfall in Spain, southern France, northern Morocco and northern Algeria in mid-April, Laguvardos stated that this is one of the reasons for the forest fires that started early in the region. this year.
“Although we don’t know what the summer will be like, we have to be prepared for the worst case scenario,” Laguvardos said. saying.
THE HIGHEST INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE IN EUROPE
Stating that it would not be correct to focus on data from a single year to make an assessment of climate change, Laguvardos pointed out that some years may be warmer or colder than others, but the general trend in the world is of increasing temperatures. temperatures.
Laguvardos, “According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union (EU), Europe is the continent with the highest temperature increase in the last 30 years.” he said.
Noting that rising air temperatures also have an effect on precipitation, Laguvardos said that although there has not been much change in total annual precipitation in recent years, the number of rainy days has decreased, but the number of rainy days has increased. precipitation intensity.
Laguvardos noted that this change also increased the possibility of flooding and negatively affected agriculture.
Stating that one of the biggest problems in the next 30 years will be extremely high temperatures from time to time, Laguvardos said that this can cause serious problems, especially in big cities where it is difficult to lower the air temperature at night.
SOLUTION SUGGESTIONS
Laguvardos stated that the only solution to rising temperatures and climate change is to reduce the carbon dioxide emission rate, and that many countries do not address it for economic reasons.
Laguvardos affirmed that if no measures are taken in this regard, the temperature in the world can increase between 3 and 4 degrees with respect to the pre-industrial period, and that this increase can cause problems such as the melting of glaciers, sea level rise, heat extreme. tidal waves and giant forest fires within 30-40 years.
Laguvardos argued that although the measures to be taken seem to have “material weight” for low-income groups, the consequences of climate change may become a bigger problem for low-income groups in the long term.
Giving an example of the need for more air conditioning and energy use due to rising temperatures, Laguvardos noted that the cost of meeting the growing needs will also rise.
“Türkiye AND GREECE CAN COOPERATE”
Laguvardos said that the first step towards cooperation between Turkey and Greece, which share the same geography, on climate change could be the exchange of data and ideas between scientists from the two countries, noting that the two countries could also cooperate on topics such as reducing carbon dioxide emissions and creating renewable energy sources.
Stating that this type of cooperation can be a good example for different issues, Laguvardos said: “I would like to see initiatives from scientists and politicians for cooperation on climate. This is a very good opportunity to work together.” he said. (AA)