While US energy secretary Chris Wright is running around telling people that global heating may be a problem but it doesn’t even make his Top Ten list of things to be concerned about, France this week unveiled its latest climate adaptation plan, which is based on the assumption that that the average temperature of the Earth will spike to as much as 4° C by 2100. For those of us who are math challenged, that is a mere 75 years from now or about 3 generations in human terms. The gods of Google say there have been about 10,000 generations of humans so far.
According to Euro News, France is preparing for a future in which average global temperatures rise to 4° C (7.2° F) above pre-industrial levels, sparking more wildfires and eroding its coastlines in its third national climate adaptation plan. Unveiled this week, it outlines dozens of measures to protect French citizens as temperatures climb. For those who are accustomed to thinking in terms of Fahrenheit, the Celsius scale tends to understate how our minds understand temperature. One degree F is 9/5 of one degree C — almost double. Imagine sitting in your living room where the temperature is a comfortable 72° F. You are watching your favorite sporting contest whilst quaffing a Bud Lite when suddenly the temperature rises to almost 80° C. Suddenly you are cranking up the air conditioner but it is not responding. You start opening windows but the breeze coming in is hotter than your living room and then you realize that an extra 4° C is making you uncomfortably warm.
First shared by former Prime Minister Michel Barnier in last October, France’s plan has received almost 6,000 public comments and has been developed in consultation with scientists and other experts. “Adapting is not giving up,” said Agnès Pannier-Runacher, France’s minister of ecological transition, biodiversity, forests, the sea and fisheries on X this week. Why anyone would post such a thing on an anti-social media sewer that caters to climate deniers is a mystery. “The government’s policy rests on two legs. On one hand, it continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; on the other, it adapts to the effects of climate change.”
France Plans To Be Carbon Neutral By 2050
France intends to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, Its emissions have already dropped by 20% since 2017, according to Pannier-Runacher. But even if net zero is achieved by mid-century, scientists still predict temperatures in the country will climb by at least 4° C by 2100 due to the continued impacts of burning fossil fuels. You may want to underline the words “at least” in your head.
The new plan focuses on four priority areas, in geographic terms — coastlines, mountains, forests, and agriculture. “There is a very strong expectation from local elected officials, particularly in coastal, mountain or forest communities, but also from healthcare professionals and nursing home residents, who are already experiencing the effects of global warming,” she told Le Monde. The climate package is designed to help the business, transport, infrastructure, and agriculture sectors gradually adapt to the consequences of an overheating planet. It incorporates a trajectory for climate adaptation that is based on projections from the national weather agency Météo-France. In an incremental way, it prepares the country for temperature increases of 2° C by 2030, 2.7° C by 2050, and 4° C by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels. Conversely, the US plan is to support the French plan by driving up average global temperatures to match France’s expectations.
The plan envisions five categories of action — protecting people, ensuring the resilience of territories and essential services, adapting human activities, protecting natural and cultural heritage, and mobilizing national resources. Specific measures include creating a national map of exposure to natural risks, maintaining affordable insurance offerings even in high risk areas, and improving housing to remain comfortable despite rising temperatures. “Adapting also means rethinking work,” Pannier-Runacher said. “Faced with heatwaves, it is necessary to adjust schedules, strengthen medical monitoring, and protect workers.” In the US, meanwhile, republicans are passing laws to prevent employers from giving workers water breaks in hot weather.
