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CostaBlancaPeople 13th - 19th December 2022
13TH - 19TH DECEMBER - EDITION 971
Tel: 607 031 113 | claire@costablancapeople.com | costablancapeople.com
Your Essential Weekly Read
Too hot for holidays
Experts are warning that the consequences of climate change and the more frequent and intense heat waves will affect the main economic sector of the south and southeast of Spain - tourism. A scientist from the Carlos III Health
Institute, Cristina Linares, believes that the Costa Blanca, Almeria and the Costa Del Sol “is becoming a desert” and that this will have negative consequences on the tourism industry. She predicts that tourists will move further to the north of the peninsula in summer in order to
escape the stifling temperatures. Experts believe that Spain most popular Costas will mirror the climate of North Africa as the current flexible temperature continue to rise. Therefore, people will tend to go to the north to sleep and rest better, as it will be impossible to escape the heat in the south or the centre of the country. But not only the experts warn of a tourist problem, there will be an increase in anxiety and short tempers. These are the consequences that heat waves, such as the ones we suffered this summer, are bringing according to scientists from the Carlos III Health Institute, the public research body that investigates biomedical and health. Researchers are seeing a relationship between the increase in mental health problems and the climate crisis. As fatigue accumulates, the exhaustion and frustration can cause a change
in people’s psychology. These are the findings discussed recently at a conference in Elche, dedicated to cities of the future and to reflect on the climate emergency in cities.
Dire consequences Heat waves are seriously affecting health and the biggest example is this summer, where there were extreme temperatures and 42 days of excessive heat. In fact, the number of deaths attributable to the temperatures multiplied almost four times, from 1,300 on average, to 4,500. In Japan and the US there are studies that relate heat waves to a higher number of suicides, experts warn. Hospitals are also noticing an increase in people suffering from alcohol-related problems. When temperatures rise, people also consume more alcohol, with a risk of abuse, as social activities such
as BBQ’s and afternoon parties increase and needing a cold drink and can be used as the perfect excuse for a beer or a gin and tonic. Traffic accidents also increase during heat waves because people are tired and are driving with reduced reflexes. High temperatures also exacerbate current conditions. In fact, the majority of deaths during heat waves are not caused by heat stroke, but because high temperatures increase the symptoms of pathologies putting a considerable amount of people at risk.