In my last blog I talked about globalisation and its effects on migration. However, one thing I didn’t mention was global warming, which I believe can be just as much a push factor as any other human causes. We’re all familiar with this concept – the ever warming of our earth year after year – but how is it affecting our society? And is it all negative?
If you’ve been keeping up with the news lately, as I have, you’ll notice the huge heatwave that’s taken Europe hostage and is wreaking havoc in beautiful countries such as Italy and Spain. By heatwave I’m not talking about the 40C weather that raged through the UK last year. No. I’m talking about a heat that’s even over 50C forcing people all over the countries to remain in homes rather than attend their daily dealings. The kind of heat that may compel people to flee their homes in the future.
For those who dream of a hot summer in beautiful places, this weather may sound ideal, but it really is just one giant red flag for our dying world. I, myself, went to Spain last year with my school for a swimming trip. It was beautiful and hot, just what we’d paid for, but it was already nearing unbearable heat at just 30C let alone 50C. If this continues, then many places may become inhabitable for humanity in maybe just 20 years’ time.
While this may be the case for already humid and tropical countries, other colder areas such as the UK may benefit greatly from global warming as will allow the growth and attainment of a wider variety of vegetation such as grapes, which I’d personally love to see happen. But this obviously would come at a cost for the rest of our planet. Now we can only try our best to prevent the effects of global warming by reducing the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Though I’m still left wondering, is it too late?