Europe’s Huge Trouble –Climate Crisis AM Edition  4/22/24

PG&E, one of the nation’s largest utilities, Edison Energy, and the State of California have applied for a $2 billion federal grant to increase the use of renewable energy. The group announced the primary goal was to “Improve technologies and coordination to streamline the process for renewable energy projects to interconnect to the grid.” Climatecrisis247 believes that, while an important move forward for renewables, the sum is small, particularly in a state the size of Califonia. Additionally, the renewable energy industry still has a great deal of work to do to make itself a major energy source, even with a grant of this kind. 

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The International Labour Organization reports that hundreds of millions of workers worldwide face health threats due to climate change. In a report titled “Climate change creates a ‘cocktail’ of serious health hazards for 70 per cent of the world’s workers, ILO report finds”, researchers found that the threat includes cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, kidney damage, and mental health conditions. The total number of those at risk is a staggering 2.4 billion workers. One effect seems larger than the others. The authors wrote,  “…the report estimates that 18,970 lives and 2.09 million disability-adjusted life years are lost annually due to the 22.87 million occupational injuries, which are attributable to excessive heat.”. Climatecrisis247 believes that the figures in the study are much higher than any published so far. If correct, the dangers of climate change are hugely far-reaching. As is the case with other global climate disasters, the scope is so large, that it is too late to be systematically addressed. 

Football Stadium Flooding

Climate change will affect football relatively soon, at least in Europe. Some stadiums will be flooded, making it difficult to stage some games. According to ESPN, one location facing the problem is the new Riverside Stand, outside London. “There is, though, one glaring issue with the development: the stadium is predicted to be underwater by 2050.” Climatecrisis247 believes that the effects on outside sports and entertainment have already begun. The most famous incident was the death of a woman at a Taylor Swift concert in December in Brazil. It was reported that temperatures on the field reached over 105 degrees F. Some American sports venues, particularly in places like Phoenix, could face these problems soon. 

Europe Dangers

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report titled “Europe experiences widespread flooding and severe heatwaves in 2023.” The authors write that Europe had the hottest summer in its history in 2023 and that the risk of climate change in Europe is unusually high compared with much of the rest of the world. “It is the fastest warming continent, with temperatures rising at around twice the global average rate.” Climatecrisis247 believes that the areas of the world with temperate climates are not spared from extreme heat in addition to places already troubled, like Africa, the Middle East, and India.