![]() ![]() This means we should be taking safety precautions. ![]() Lytton, incidentally, lies near 50 degrees north latitude, just like the German towns of Boppard and Coburg, in central Germany. It is almost unimaginable what would happen if temperatures were to rise to 46, 47 or even 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit), as they have done this summer in the Canadian town of Lytton. Germany's Federal Statistical Office recorded an 11% increase in deaths during a weeklong heat wave this summer. Are they merely a taste of what's to come once I reach Laschet's age? And what will coming generations be up against? What we need, therefore, are mitigating measures against climate change, alongside steps to adapt to a warming planet. The floods and heat waves we are witnessing today are frightening. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, meanwhile, has lambasted the EU proposal, writing: "Unless the EU tear up their new #Fitfor55 package, the world will not stand a chance of staying below 1.5☌ of global heating."Īt 32, I'm closer to Thunberg than Laschet, age-wise. One key policy stipulates that by 2035 sales of vehicles with internal combustion engine cars will be banned.īut Armin Laschet, who leads Germany's center-right CDU and is vying to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel in September, has said lawmakers should not set specific phaseout dates. The European Commission has just unveiled its "Fit for 55" plan, a package of revisions and regulations targeted at drastically cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Time to talk about protective measuresįortunately, there is finally talk of mitigating climate change - that is, taking measures to counteract its gravest consequences. The Northern Hemisphere, in short, is facing a climate crisis. A greater frequency and intensity of natural disasters has been the consequence.Īs vast swaths of western Germany are dealing with one of the worst floods in years, parts of North America are grappling with scorching hot temperatures that have left scores dead and sparked forest fires that have proven very difficult to contain. Over time, however, atmospheric CO2 concentrations have doubled, raising Earth's temperature by 1 degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit). They occurred long before the advent of the industrial age, when humans began burning fossil fuels on a large scale. The disaster has devastated entire towns, washing away residential houses, cars and trees. Dozens of people have died, with many still reported missing. The extent of destruction and death wrought by Germany's recent floods is slowly becoming apparent. Faced with disasters like the recent flooding, Germany - and the world - needs to adapt Image: Marius Becker/picture alliance/dpa ![]()
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