Photo by Matt Palmer on Unsplash
By Fraser Sutherland, coalition manager of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland
The devastating effects of climate breakdown are being seen – and felt – everywhere we turn. Parts of Europe have this summer baked in temperatures up to 45C as a giant heat dome gripped the continent.
Britain has just experienced its hottest May and June days ever, up to 38C, with extended heatwaves and red ‘danger to life’ alerts in many regions. Estimates suggest an extra 2,700 people died in England and Wales as a result.
Deadly wildfires are raging around the world. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee parts of France, Spain, Greece and Canada, with lives lost and tourists warned “don’t come” to affected areas.
Scotland has not been spared. A major wildfire has burned for more than three weeks in Cairngorms National Park, with residents evacuated amid “apocalyptic” scenes. Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat had its second fire this year in July.
Climate change is increasing both the likelihood and the severity of wildfires at an unprecedented rate.
“The science of how climate change is worsening heatwaves is settled,” said Dr Theodore Keeping, extreme weather and wildfire researcher at Imperial College London. “But the speed of change is startling.”
Scottish firefighters have echoed the message, saying climate change is “playing a major role” in making destructive wildfires “even more dangerous” and the highest-risk period has extended from spring into summer.
The damage to local people, livelihoods, landscapes and wildlife is huge.
Warming world
Globally, 2024 remains the hottest year on record, and the first where warming exceeded 1.5C – the limit aimed for in the Paris Agreement.
But we could shortly see even more dramatic heat. A ‘super-charged’ El Niño weather event could make 2027 the hottest year yet – possibly by a significant margin.
The climate we knew in the 20th century “has gone”, according to the Met Office.
Scorched earth
Climate change has been described as the greatest threat humanity has ever faced.
Burning coal, oil and gas has been identified as the key driver of global warming.
The root of our biggest problems could not be clearer.
Paying the price
No country, least of all ours, is prepared for this sort of heat. People, infrastructure and services are buckling under the strain, with a rise in deaths and health problems, schools and workplaces forced to close, transport disrupted, water shortages and harvests failing.
Dependency on oil and gas is costing us dearly. Billpayers are at the mercy of international markets and geopolitics, with supplies at risk and prices see-sawing. A recent report concluded that inflation-rise caused by the Iran war will cost the UK £24bn.
Meanwhile, fossil fuel profits grow – the world’s six largest oil and gas companies made more than £110bn in the past year.
Burning issue
Climate action is no longer an ideal but an urgent necessity. Backed by around a million supporters, SCCS is calling for the Scottish Government to bring in measures that will reduce emissions and improve lives – such as making homes easier and cheaper to heat and providing affordable and reliable bus travel.
Every pound invested now will more than pay for itself compared to the cost of damages in the future. Extreme events expose our lack of preparation for a crisis we knew was coming. It’s time to heed this latest set of warnings. ⏹
