European Union role against the climate change

Problema y Solución Global

La Unión Europea no debería dejar, sino seguir siendo la vanguardia y el motor mundial en la lucha contra el cambio climático, que probable y desgraciadamente acabamos de ver  sus efectos en fenómenos ambientales extremos en el tifón de Filipinas y el reciente ciclón en Somalia. El fondo internacional, aprobado en la cumbre del clima en Copenhague (2009), de lucha contra el cambio climático debería apoyar a muchos países vulnerables y sin medios para tomar sus medidas de adaptación y prevención para estas catástrofes ambientales  producidas por el cambio climático; aparte de ayudarlos para enfrentarse a las consecuencias de estos fenómenos extremos y subida de aguas de mares, con pérdida de suelos agrícolas por salinidad y  consecuentemente de producción agrícola. El cambio climático es un fenómeno que se ha producido por la emisión global de gases de efecto invernadero y la deforestación, y por ello la responsabilidad de enfrentarse a sus efectos tendría que ser también global a nivel mundial. 

No hay otra solución en esta lucha contra el cambio climático que apostar por la transición energética hacia  las energías renovables y aumentar el ahorro y la eficiencia en el uso de la energía, además de luchar contra las deforestaciones, allá donde sea y promover la reforestación. Los países europeos que más han invertido con buena planificación en energías renovables, Dinamarca, Alemania, Suecia y Países Bajos, aparte de otras razones,  fueron los que mejor han resistido la última crisis económica en Europa.

 Así acaba de afirmarlo Connie Hedegaard, la Comisaria Europea para el Clima.

http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2013/11/13/climat-il-faut-absolument-aboutir-a-un-accord-en-2015_3513225_3244.html

Images of floods and climate change

 River floods in Germany

Flood in Villava, Navarra, Spain

Extreme weather phenomenon of heavy rain, never seen before, as result of climate change has been remarkable news these last days.  

Weeks of heavy rain this spring have sent the Elbe, the Danube and other rivers such as the Vltava and the Saale overflowing their banks, causing extensive damage in central and southern Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. At least 22 flood-related deaths have been reported.

In Navarra, Spain, we had too last week heavy rains causing river floods and damages in urban and rural spaces, especially in Pamplona, Villava, Castejón, Funes etc.
I have written about floods as consequence of climate change in an opinion article titled: "Management of water and climate change",  published in 2008 in Spanish press ( Diario de Navarra). I attach the link and you can read the article in this blog.
 http://www.diariodenavarra.es/edicionimpresa/articulo.asp?not=a16art1437462a&dia=20080228&seccion=opinion

World Environment Day 5th June 2013: Think, Eat, Save

The 2013 theme for World Environment Day chosen by United Nations Environment Programme (UNAP) is Think.Eat.Save. , with host country Mongolia. Think.Eat.Save is according UNAP an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your foodprint. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger.

Given this enormous imbalance in lifestyles and the resultant devastating effects on the environment, this year’s theme – Think.Eat.Save – encourages you to become more aware of the environmental impact of the food choices you make and empowers you to make informed decisions.
While the planet is struggling to provide us with enough resources to sustain its 7 billion people (growing to 9 billion by 2050), FAO estimates that a third of global food production is either wasted or lost. Food waste is an enormous drain on natural resources and a contributor to negative environmental impacts.
This year’s campaign rallies you to take action from your home and then witness the power of collective decisions you and others have made to reduce food waste, save money, minimize the environmental impact of food production and force food production processes to become more efficient.
If food is wasted, it means that all the resources and inputs used in the production of all the food are also lost. For example, it takes about 1,000 liters of water to produce 1 liter of milk and about 16,000 liters goes into a cow’s food to make a hamburger. The resulting greenhouse gas emissions from the cows themselves, and throughout the food supply chain, all end up in vain when we waste food.
In fact, the global food production occupies 25% of all habitable land and is responsible for 70% of fresh water consumption, 80% of deforestation, and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. It is the largest single driver of biodiversity loss and land-use change.
Making informed decision therefore means, for example, that you purposefully select foods that have less of an environmental impact, such as organic foods that do not use chemicals in the production process. Choosing to buy locally can also mean that foods are not flown halfway across the world and therefore limit emissions.
So think before you eat and help save our environment!