Ground control, there’s a climate emergency

Just Words...

Not sure why the Presidential Elections are garnering so much interest at a time when the planet is overheating, and Europe sizzled under the hottest temperatures in recorded history.

Climate change is a reality we can feel during intensified summers when the daytime thermometer barely drops below 39 degrees Celsius.

The Mediterranean is scorching hot and among the most vulnerable regions prone to climate shifts, be it wildfires, flash floods, extreme winters, or coastal erosion.

It’s real, it’s happening to us routinely, yet we treat the climate crisis as if it’s an inconvenience that will resolve itself once the earth has had time to cool down.

But we won’t let the planet rest.

We are busy driving our cars, shoving hydrocarbons into power stations while turning to coal as the Russians contemplate turning off the gas this winter.

Needless to say, Russia is doing untold damage to the environment with the incessant bombing of Ukraine.

With Europe unable to wean itself off fossil fuels, the reduction in gas supplies has the Germans dusting down its coal-powered stations that were rendered obsolete in the green dawn.

Other countries like the UK are turning to cleaner fuels, such as the nuclear option, which feels like another step back into the future.

Too many trees are being cut down, and wildlife habitats are destroyed by man-made fires or uncontrolled construction.

Man is not only killing our fellow creatures who want somewhere to roam but also damaging the planet it lives on when not wiping out its own race.

Politicians seem hesitant to rely on alternative energy sources that may give the earth a healthier future, enabling it to survive.

Solar energy

Cyprus is a prime example where abundant natural resources are not harnessed to create a cleaner atmosphere.

There is more sun than we know what to do with – so why doesn’t every home have photovoltaic panels?

The state should fully subsidise it.

Solar energy is one of the greatest gifts, yet we fail to take advantage of it.

If Cyprus weren’t forced to go green by Brussels, it would produce waste quicker than you could recycle it.

Wait a minute… that’s already happening.

I’m not sure if even eating less meat will save the planet, but we need to be more aware of the environmental harm we are causing.

Awareness should start in schools, but the education system does everything except what it says on the tin.

Electric vehicles should be cheaper, public transport must be comprehensive and reliable, and the government should invest more in green innovation.

Science just might prolong the expiry date of humanity because we are the prime murder suspect for the planet disintegrating into weather chaos.

Technology is another area where we can push the boundaries to ensure sustainable growth.

The climate crisis is scary. It seems inevitable and unstoppable.

But once we recognise our part in the destruction of the earth, then we can be accountable for clearing the greenhouse fog.

We can’t keep dumping waste into the ocean, pumping fumes into the atmosphere, and ruining habitats and ecosystems as if they were purchased at a discount store.

Angry

The earth is angry. It’s telling us to wake up and smell the end of time - which is soon in the context of the universe.

You can bet your last single-use plastic straw that the Presidential Election will not be won or lost on the climate emergency issue.

In many people’s eyes, the ballot has already been won and lost as the old guard has divided the votes between them.

They have kept the election a closed shop to ensure victory, rendering a manifesto as decoration for the sake of appearances.

Three privileged men from the same political background have nothing fresh to offer; their vision is as dated as the slogans they adopt.

Our climate will keep changing for the worse regardless of what the three frontrunners say.

I suggest the first thing they advocate is appointing a climate minister.

Although before they get around to even considering it, they will be practising magic tricks with the Cyprus problem.

Failed diplomacy has given us 48 years of pain and division.

How can they suddenly become saviours when they were part of the problem?

Anyway, Cyprus can’t wait any longer, and neither can the planet – but don’t hold your breath.