Extreme heatwaves across different countries have continued to rise more than ever as a result of climate change. Several countries have been affected by these heatwaves. Countries like Greece, Japan, and of late, Canada are suffering.
However, the prime minister of Canada is said to have been blamed for the natural disaster as a result of investing on fossil fuels. Every day brings new death tolls and the Canadian residents are protesting against the investments of fossil fuels.
According to reports, about 50 people in Greece, 44 in Japan; 70 people in Canada have been found dead as a result of heatwaves across the globe. Other countries are not left out and they been affected by this condition.
Firstly Greece – many people woke in the morning on the 24 of July to find out in the news that about 50 people were found dead as result of heatwaves including six-month old baby. Dozens more were injured and hundreds were rescued as a result of wildfires that occurred through a small resort in Athens. The government have acted on the area and also requested for international help.
Moving forward, Twenty-six people had reportedly died huddled together close to a beach in a town called Mati. Nikos Economopoulos, the head of Greece’s Red Cross, told the country’s Skai TV, “They had tried to find an escape route but unfortunately these people and their kids didn’t make it in time.”
One of the Mati residents named Kotas Loganos stated that he escaped the drastic situation by diving into the Sea: “Thankfully the sea was there and we went into the sea, because the flames were chasing us all the way to the water, it burned our backs and we dove into the water.”
However, the Greek government have asked people to evacuate the coast west of Athens due to the rising conditions of the area as the temperature level is over 400c.
It is important to know that Greek is not the only country affected by the rising heatwaves – Japan is another country with a great death toll as a result of heatwaves. Today, the country’s weather agency has declared the heatwave a natural disaster, saying that at least 65 deaths had been recorded in the past week. Experts believe there will be many more.
In addition, Sweden is another country affected by the rising heatwave. It is also important to know that the country is experiencing the hottest July for 260 years; the country has asked for international aid to help decrease the heatwaves in the Artic.
Back to Canada where there have been reported cases of death as a result of heatwaves in Quebec alone. Earlier this month, in Ottawa, in Ontario, the humidity index—the method used there to measure the combined humidity level and temperature—hit 47°C (116.6°F) on July 2.
However, the heat levels are rising and upon Canada; and the Canadian government stated another warning concerning the heat levels in the Montreal area, addressing the residents that the heat levels have the tendency to reach thirties.
“Heat warnings are issued when very high temperature or humidity conditions are expected to pose an elevated risk of heat illnesses, such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion,” it stated.
Many parts of Canada are warming extremely and last week, here were more than one hundred fires burning in British Columbia, and a further 118 burning in Ontario, with 29 of them considered “out of control.”
Also, the media is acting on this menace. One BBC journalist tweeted: “Climate change. It’s here. It’s catastrophic. This month alone: — ’50 dead’ in Greece wildfires — Arctic Circle ablaze — Japan heatwave, flooding and landslides kill hundreds — Record temperatures in Algeria, Morocco, Oman — Drought squeezes US lemons.
It looks like Justin Trudeau have been reluctant about the effect of heatwaves As people die across the globe, his government was searching for a buyer for the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline, which will triple the amount of dirty tar sands exported from Alberta to Vancouver to 890,000 barrels a day.
The pipeline issue has become a big political problem in the country – The issue was opposed by the government of British Columbia and by a coalition of First Nations, community and environmental groups.
Even though were several warnings on the climatic effect of pipeline, Trudeau’s government offered to buy it from Kinder Morgan after the company froze investment, to keep construction continuing. They had hoped to sell the pipeline quickly to a new buyer.
There were no buyers found before the deadline, which was on Sunday. So, Trudeau’s government has no option now but to be the full-time owner of the tar sands pipeline.
The Canadian Star stated: “But with that date set to pass without a deal, it was expected the pipeline company will now take Ottawa’s $4.5-billion offer to purchase the project to its shareholders.”
The formal sale looks to be approved next month, which means that more people may die. However, the Canadian government has to look into this issue critically to save its citizens from death.
