Ieva Budraitė: Paluckas, Skvernelis, and Others – The Names I Blame for This Heat

Lithuania, like much of Europe, is grappling with unprecedented heatwaves that are straining infrastructure and endangering lives. The extreme June temperatures have led to significant disruptions, including train derailments due to warped tracks in Sweden and reduced electricity generation at French nuclear power plants unable to cool reactors with overheated river water. In Paris alone, emergency services registered 55 heat-related deaths in a single day, with tragic incidents involving children left in hot cars.

“

They had science. They had technology. They had capital. And, most importantly, they had time. But they lacked the political courage to make decisions that were unpopular in the short term or did not align with the election cycle, even though they were critically necessary for the long-term safety of society.

Meteorologists explain these extreme conditions are driven by an "omega block" weather pattern, a high-pressure system trapping hot air. However, the article emphasizes that the phenomenon itself is not new; rather, it is the context of a warming climate that makes it so dangerous. Global temperatures have risen over 1.3°C in 150 years due to burning fossil fuels, with Europe warming at more than double the global average. Scientists from World Weather Attribution state that the current heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-induced climate change, estimating that extremely hot nights are now 100 times more likely than two decades ago.

The author criticizes past and present politicians for failing to act decisively on fossil fuel dependency, despite having the scientific knowledge, technology, and capital. This "deficit of backbone" is now exacting a heavy price. The article argues that the climate crisis must be viewed not merely as an environmental issue concerning abstract CO2 emissions or endangered species, but as a critical matter of national security.

“

This heatwave without human-induced climate change would have been practically impossible. Extremely hot nights are now about 100 times more likely than two decades ago.

The piece contends that the failure to implement necessary, albeit potentially unpopular, short-term political decisions has led to the current climate emergency. This inaction has transformed a potential summer heatwave into a brutal reality, impacting public health, transportation, energy production, and claiming innocent lives. The core message is that climate policy in the 21st century is fundamentally about a state's ability to survive.

“

In the 21st century, climate policy is the state's ability to survive.