A man cools off at Cinecittà World Park, near Rome, July 23, 2022.   (Photo: Tiziana Fabi / AFP)

By Guillermo Alvarado

The now almost-ended month of July will be remembered in Europe as one of the hottest and driest in history, with temperatures that sent thermometers soaring to unprecedented levels, as well as dreadful fires that consumed hundreds of thousands of hectares of forests.

The United Kingdom came to a virtual standstill following the declaration of a red alert, equivalent to a national emergency, when temperatures reached 40.3 degrees Celsius, the highest on record, affecting railroad lines, subways and airport runways.

The situation was no better in France, Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean basin, where there is also an intense drought that is affecting large areas of crops, which will undoubtedly contribute to keeping food prices high.

According to the World Health Organization, in the Iberian Peninsula alone, some 1,500 people lost their lives due to this phenomenon, deaths that were described as "unnecessary". The organization urged governments to address climate change seriously and quickly.

As is usually the case, the heat was accompanied by fires, this time with unaccustomed voracity.

In Spain alone, so far this year the flames have consumed more than 220,000 hectares and it is predicted that 2022 will be the worst season so far this century, and one of the four most destructive since 1950.

In Greece, a large part of Dadia National Park has been reduced to ashes and there are fears for the safety of several animal species living in this exceptional ecosystem, including vultures, butterflies, bats, numerous mammals, reptiles and amphibians,

Germany and France are also no exception in this tragedy that is claiming lives and affecting numerous families, who had to be evacuated and do not know if their homes will still be standing when they return.

Paradoxically, many governments have their sights set on the war in the east of that continent, following a script written and imposed from Washington with the sole purpose of destroying Russia's economy and reversing its role and influence in the international arena.

Climate change, global warming, the real danger looming over life on our planet, are taking a back seat even though nature insists on showing us that the tipping point is being reached, after which nothing will be the same as it was before.

There is no plan B to save us, there is no alternative planet to move to, truths so simple that very few want to understand.