"If We Don't Act Now, Tens of Thousands Could Die"...Climate Disaster Becomes Reality

Climate experts are issuing warnings one after another.

"If things continue like this, tens of thousands of lives could be lost," they say.

The heatwaves sweeping across Europe and the United States are at the core of these warnings.

This time, it is not just a prediction.

It is a reality that is already threatening people's lives right before our eyes, making the situation even more serious.

Europe Hit Hard by '40-Degree Heatwave'

Tourists seek shade under parasols during a summer heatwave in Rome, Italy. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

A tourist is refreshing themselves at the Barcelona Fountain in Plaza de Espa?a. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Currently, temperatures in some parts of Europe have soared above 40 degrees Celsius.

Marisol Iglesias Gonzalez, a climate change and health expert at the World Health Organization (WHO),

warned that if countries continue to respond as lukewarmly as they do now,

tens of thousands of people could die unnecessarily.

A heatwave is not just about hot weather.

There are ongoing cases of heat-related illnesses, exhaustion, and worsening of chronic diseases, especially among the elderly and vulnerable.

"4,500 Deaths in Just Four Days Possible"

Tourists are using parasols to shield themselves from the scorching sun in front of Sforzesco Castle in Milan, Italy. Photo by AP Yonhap News

People visiting the beaches of southern France. Photo by Yonhap News

Pierre Marcello, a statistician at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine,

analyzed that from June 30 to July 3, in just four days,

there could be more than 4,500 across Europe.

In fact, according to statistics on heatwave-related deaths analyzed for 854 cities in Europe,

over 175,000 people die each year due to the direct or indirect effects of heatwaves.

The United States Is No Exception

A police officer is cooling off with water in Washington, D.C. Photo by AP Yonhap News

At the end of June, a heatwave warning was issued from the Midwest to the East Coast of the United States,

and the daytime high in Boston reached 39 degrees Celsius.

In about 20 regions, temperature-related records were broken several times.

At one point, the heat subsided due to northwesterly winds,

but meteorological experts are warning that another heatwave will soon return.

"Heatwaves Are No Longer Unusual Events"

Citizens are crossing a road where heat haze caused by geothermal heat is rising. Photo by Yonhap News

Expert Gonzalez stated,

"We are no longer at the stage of worrying about whether or not a heatwave will come.

Now, the key is how often and how long they will last."

Experts say that climate change is already out of control,

and they raise the possibility that the world has entered

'uncharted territory' that humanity has never experienced before.

The recurring heatwaves every year are not anomalies.

If we cannot change the climate,
our response must change before it's too late.

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