'Ignore the foolish climate crisis sceptics - the facts speak for themselves'

23 July 2023 , 16:15

382     0

Pine trees burning in a wildfire on the Greek island of Rhodes (Image: Eurokinissi/AFP via Getty Images)

From Antarctica to Africa, all seven of the Earth’s continents have experienced extraordinary weather events in July.

Featuring on nearly 115 front pages in 84 newspapers in 32 countries, international media has covered the deadly extremes affecting the planet – the harsh reality of today’s climate crisis.

China has set a provisional new national temperature record of 52.2C, Antarctica sea ice is at record low levels amid unusual winter heat, and Africa experienced its hottest night ever.

In Rhodes over the weekend, tourists had to flee hotels as wildfires raged.

Deadly floods have swept through northern India and South Korea.

Queen honoured in London New Year's fireworks before turning into King Charles

Volunteers try to put out a wildfire in Kiotari village on Rhodes island (DAMIANIDIS LEFTERIS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

A new study has also revealed that the human body’s “upper critical temperature” is between 40-50C. If that limit is surpassed, then we start malfunctioning.

As temperatures have soared across Europe, the Foreign Office has also added an “extreme weather” section on its website detailing how to stay safe during the heatwaves. Scorching temperatures in Arizona, USA, have also left some people with second-degree burns after coming in contact with 71C pavements.

It’s rather ironic that there has been a lot of hot air from sections of the right-wing media at the same time, which appear to deny the fact that the planet is in serious trouble.

“First it was Covid, now we’re being scared into submission over the weather,” read one headline which claims sunshine is being weaponised in a bid to adjust our ways to hit net zero.

This dangerous new strain of climate scepticism includes double-barrelled dinosaurs Jacob Rees-Mogg and Julia Hartley-Brewer and their merry band, armed with memories of the 1976 heatwave.

Perhaps they’ll change their tune when an elderly or vulnerable relative keels over from heatstroke, or their own home is lost in a fire or a flood caused by an extreme weather event.

Some 99% of scientists agree human activity is making the planet perilous for the eight billion people that live on it.

The sceptics demand to know why we are ignoring the 1%.

Nada Farhoud