Straight up: Fires are crushing Europe. If they came to the Czech Republic, we would learn that the fire is burning.
Extreme weather has taken a harsh toll in southern parts of Europe. Extensive fires are currently gripping regions mainly in Spain and France. Local residents fear that the worst is yet to come. If climate change continues, we may witness something similar. However, the Czech Republic is completely unprepared, and government politicians are even boasting about it.
A fire in France has already engulfed tens of thousands of hectares of land. It is no different in Spain, where the extent of the fires is considered extraordinarily large. Firefighters from several European countries are responding. The situation is simply serious.
French President Emmanuel Macron is not spared from criticism either, as Italy has significantly more specialized firefighting aircraft. As is known, France may have the most nuclear power plants and a triad of nuclear weapons, but fire-fighting aircraft have been neglected. Macron may not be responsible for climate changes manifesting in this year's extreme heat, drought, and winds fanning the fires, nor is he the chief manager of French water aircraft, but he bears responsibility for the situation.
That is the fate of a politician, at least in civilized countries. If the situation with extreme weather were to escalate in the Czech Republic as well, can we rely on the responsibility of politicians?
Eyebrows rise. Bordeaux has 268,000 inhabitants, thus being closest in population to the Czech city of Ostrava (292,000 inhabitants). The fires are approximately 15 km away from the mentioned French city.
"The government is aware of the heat in the summer. And it is even aware of the cold in the winter. And of the falling leaves in the autumn. And of the blooming flowers in the spring," responded Gabriela Sdláčková, a deputy for the Motorists, to the extreme heat that also affected the Czech Republic this year.
The motorist humor has been reignited once again, effectively obscuring the government's extraordinary inability to solve any issues since its establishment. Would we witness such humor at the level of a comedian post-lobotomy again, even if the situation escalated similarly close to the North Moravian metropolis, as seen in television footage with flames?
The joke is all the more pertinent because the party controls the Ministry of the Environment (MŽP). While the dangers of hot weather are a crucial political topic west of our borders—and for example, in France, a special office tackles these dangers—government MPs suffice with salaries supplemented by parliamentary allowances. Address real issues? These politicians certainly don’t wish to present themselves in that manner.
Some might think that representatives of Motorists at the Ministry of the Environment would be just as clueless in solving this problem as Petr Macinka at the summit in Ankara. This reasoning has its logic, but it's enough to look at how diligently elected officials are engaged in heat protection in other countries. Information is distributed about prevention (window shading and other home modifications) as well as about shelters where one can hide from extreme temperatures. These are public places with air conditioning where the highest temperature peaks can be endured. These are details, but they can mean the difference between life and death.
Belgium recorded a record high excess mortality during the heatwave. It involved 2,000 people, which translates to more than a 48% increase in deaths compared to usual. It's unlikely they laughed themselves to death while watching the statements made in the Czech Parliament. However, representatives of the Czech government prefer to loudly declare that they are currently offended and whom they are not talking to, whether it's representatives of critical media or the president.
"Severe fires in France. Heat and drought as a deadly cocktail. Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated. Meanwhile, fossil corporations are reporting record profits. That's why they lie to you that the climate crisis isn't real. That's why they lie to you that humans aren't responsible for it,”
Further explained Vojtěch Pecka from the Czech Academy of Sciences.
Because when nothing is done, coal- (oil- or possibly gas-) barons will be able to earn extra years. Under the guise of cheap energy, however, they sell their hefty profits, for which everyone evenly pays with their own health. Let's hope that the next wave of heat passes quickly and nothing worse breaks out; government politicians don't have crisis scenario preparation in their schedule.
