In Spain, October starts with temperatures above 30℃ in most areas of the peninsula. If we look back, these values ​​can be considered, as shown by AEMET, “very high”, more than 10℃ above normal for these dates. Now, if we look ahead, they should not surprise us.

The Mediterranean Basin is one of the regions in the world most sensitive to climate change. That instrumental notes shows that in Spain summer has been lengthening since the late 1970s at a rate of almost one day per year and climate models agree that, most likely, This path will continue in the coming decades.

On the other hand, greenhouse gas emissions and their concentrations in the atmosphere, they don’t stop improving. News like easing environmental policy in the UK or that delays in implementing Euro7 regulations to reduce motor vehicle emissions in the EU states that we are still far from reaching maximum concentrations and compliance with the 2℃ limit under the Paris agreement is increasingly complicated (almost certainly we will not comply with the 1.5℃ limit).

The world is getting hotter

To correctly interpret this panorama, it must be taken into account that greater concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere not only increase the global temperature on the planet, but also increase the total energy of the climate system.

We can think of temperature as an indicator of the energy available in the atmosphere. So it is easy to understand that every tenth of a degree increase is relevant, not only because it gets hotter, but because the system becomes more energetic. This implies relevant changes in the dynamics of air masses and, therefore, of precipitation and other meteorological variables.

Therefore, we are faced with a new, more extreme meteorology. What previously happened rarely, now happens more often. And what was not very intense before, has now become very intense. This requires significantly increasing the resources allocated to adaptation.

Various records show this Since the beginning of the 21st century we have entered a new “normality”., which will also develop; As long as emissions continue to increase, the situation will not stabilize and these processes will intensify.

Ultimately, the extended period of the so-called “San Miguel summer” is one more example of the new normal we have to get used to. It is very likely that in five or ten years the currently recorded values ​​will not be news, they will not be “very high”, but rather something common, because often we will see how previous records were broken. In fact, it is thought to be so Every two years, half of the world’s population will see previous records surpassed..

Life on this planet is at stake

All of this is a manifestation of what we first called climate change, then global warming, and more recently the climate emergency and crisis. But this is not a specific problem and is temporary.

It must be remembered that carbon dioxide, the most relevant greenhouse gas, remains in the atmosphere for decades after its release and we currently do not have the technology that allows to remove it from the atmosphere on a large scale. This explains the magnitude of the problem’s inertia: even if we stopped emitting carbon dioxide now, the impact would be visible in decades’ time.

From my point of view, as long as disruptive technologies that solve problems do not appear before our eyes, but rather crises or emergencies, for the generation currently inhabiting the earth, this is a chronic problem whose intensity is increasing. Therefore, we have to approach it.

What’s at stake is not the planet. The Earth has experienced enormous climatic and environmental changes over its millions of years of existence, although none of the changes have been as rapid or as intense as those caused by the human species. This planet will continue to exist, what is at stake is the survival of many species of living creatures, including humans.

The implementation of economic decarbonization measures will bring major social changes that will affect all sectors and levels of society. The process towards this final goal can be done in various ways. It is in our hands that this transition can proceed as quickly and fairly as possible, avoiding disparities and loss of rights, and ensuring that the situation that occurs reflects an improvement in the quality of life of the majority of society, especially the most vulnerable groups.