This past week, temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius across Europe, surpassing those of the Sahara Desert in some areas of Spain and Portugal. Authorities are advising people to stay indoors, schools have shut down, wildfires are spreading, and nuclear plants are scaling back production due to rivers being too warm to effectively cool them. The World Health Organization reports that over 1,300 deaths in Europe have been linked to the recent heatwave since June 21st.
Europe has historically designed its urban infrastructure, residences, public areas, and tourism sector around the notion that summers would be warm but manageable. This assumption is now being challenged as the continent faces a changing climate reality.
Ajit Niranjan, The Guardian’s environmental correspondent in Europe, discusses the repercussions of an entire continent realizing it was structured for a climate that is no longer the norm. To access transcripts of the Front Burner podcast, please visit the official website.
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