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https://theconversation.com/europes-climate-is-changing-fast-heres-how-its-affecting-people-and-the-economy-266399>
"Temperatures across Europe are rising at twice the global average. This
alarming trend is leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts,
floods and storms.
But climate change isn’t just about extreme weather. It damages ecosystems,
infrastructure and economies, plus people’s resilience and prosperity, meaning
the European way of life is at risk.
The latest information from the European Environment Agency shows that while
progress is being made, the state of the environment is deteriorating. Europe
is the fastest warming continent and major economic and social losses from
climate-related events are mounting – with more than €738 billion (£643
billion) in losses from 1980-2023, and over €162 billion from the last three
years.
Adaptation (action required for societies to adjust to the adverse effects of
climate changes) is needed but lagging behind the escalating risk due to
inconsistent and under-resourced approaches. As a result, ecosystem and
societal resilience are undermined.
Healthy ecosystems underpin sustainable living by ensuring food and water
security, and providing essential goods and services.
For people living in Europe, the effects are already visible and personal.
People are increasingly exposed to disease, pollution, and even premature death
due to extreme weather. Homes and communities face destruction. In 2025,
extreme weather has included extensive floods in Valencia, Spain, and wildfires
raging across Turkey, Portugal, Cyprus, France and Spain.
Public services – such as health services and early responders, like the fire
service – come under pressure. Daily life becomes more uncertain. More than
464,000 people across Europe are already experiencing the trauma of forced
displacement, due to floods, wildfires and storms.
Currently, these are internal displacements, meaning they have not crossed
borders into other countries. But this extreme weather is now occurring more
frequently, so the risk of wider displacement is rising."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
