My four siblings and I have been struggling to stay cool in the summertime ever since I can remember. From waking up multiple times a night to take a cold shower, to physically fighting each other over the three fans available at our house on the outskirts of Paris, our summers were always restless.
Why don’t we have AC, you might ask? Because it just isn’t that popular. In 2019, less than a fourth of French households were equipped with at least one air conditioning system, compared to 90% of households in the United States at that time.
(Image Courtesy of Pezybear / Pixabay)
But temperatures will continue to rise until at least 2050. How will we be able to cope? Back in 2003, the heatwave looming over Europe killed more than 14,000 in France alone. And even though the country has tried to prepare for heatwaves ever since, more than 1,400 people died in France in 2019's heatwaves - half of them over 75. The government still claims the death toll is now about a tenth of 2003 thanks to their campaign of public awareness.
So, how are French homeowners managing the situation? Unbearable summers and their rising temperatures have led 50% more households to acquire much-needed AC in 2019, compared to 2016. Unfortunately, this increase in the number of AC units in use helps drive the production of greenhouse emissions blamed for warming up our planet in the first place.
(Image Courtesy of terimakasih0 / Pixabay)
To address this issue, France is currently implementing short-term solutions by building heatwave plans into urban planning. Vegetal roofs, cooling centers and "brumisateurs," which blow out cool water vapor are spreading around French cities. To reduce traffic and mitigate the heat-trapping CO2 emissions, the government is investing in pedestrian-only areas and free public transportation. The French public health authority also issues general heatwave advice such as closing windows and shutters during the day, drinking plenty of water, avoiding alcohol and exercising only during the cooler parts of the day.
Although these measures help us adapt to rising temperatures, they are not mitigating the carbon emissions largely blamed for global warming. Yet, mitigation measures are essential to ensure we keep our carbon emissions to a minimum. On those grounds, scientists came up with “Representative Concentration Pathways” (RCPs) modeling different possible greenhouse gas emissions pathways and their associated global temperatures through 2100.
Current trends in annual greenhouse gas emissions are consistent with the higher scenario RCP8.5 (in red) where annual greenhouse gas emissions increase significantly throughout the 21st century before leveling off by 2100. However, we should be aiming for the very low scenario RCP2.6 (in green) mitigating global rising temperatures by representing more immediate, substantial, and sustained emissions reductions.
But, how are we going to carry out the very low scenario RCP2.6 if we are on track to settle for the worst scenario RCP8.5?
In reaction to rising temperatures, the European Union recently implemented tougher mitigation measures. Negotiators from Parliament and EU member states adopted a broad-ranging package of legislative proposals to completely eliminate EU greenhouse emissions by 2050. To reach their target goal, the EU will increase their production of renewable energy and phase out new polluting vehicles by 2035, as well as impose tougher market reforms.
It is not clear whether these policies will be enough to achieve the very low scenario RCP2.6, but one thing is certain. The more states and international coalitions held accountably, the better our chances at enjoying our summers for decades to come.
I wonder if the next generation of kids will be able to spend their two long school-less summer months playing outside with the garden hose, like my siblings and I did. Or if their parents will forbid them from going because the heat is too dangerous for them to play in.
How many more fans will it take to prevent fights from breaking out with the kids stuck inside?
One thing is sure. If we stop pushing our leaders to take action, even three fans behind closed shutters won't be enough to keep us comfortable anymore.
Credits:
Inclut des images créées par jplenio - "sun sky blue" • Pezibear - "window old old window" • terimakasih0 - "air conditioner hotel air"