Tornado: Random Armageddon or the everyday reality of climate change, was the title of an article 10 years ago (in Phileleftheros) following a devastating tornado in Oklahoma with a death toll of 100, as well as massive destruction.
In Oklahoma, as in other areas of the US, hurricanes and tornadoes are not uncommon. What is unusual for us, even though scientists had predicted that climate change would contribute to the occurrence of strong tornadoes in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially in coastal or near-coastal areas.
In an interview with Argyro Bozoni in Lifo three years ago, Mattheos Santamouris, an international expert in the built environment and professor of High-Performance Architecture at the University of New South Wales in Australia, explained that climate change is bringing tornadoes, desertification, and floods to the southeastern Mediterranean, with a special reference to Cyprus.
“Climate change,” he said, “is rapid in the southeastern Mediterranean, much more so than in the Western Mediterranean. However, the country that has been most affected by climate change is not Greece, but Cyprus. The climate in Cyprus has changed dramatically. It is a small area, it is hard to see, but for example, during the summer it has much higher temperatures, much more humidity, and much more dust transport from Africa; in fact, it has become a purely subtropical area.”
“Do not be surprised,” he warned, “if you see strong tornado phenomena in coastal areas. These are phenomena we expect, along with drought, desertification, floods, and intense heat waves. There will be many more marginal and extreme phenomena, but I believe there will be significant surprises in the future, as these phenomena are still uncharted waters.”
What we are experiencing, as surprising as it may be, was entirely predictable by scientists. But what can we, the citizens, do besides trying to repair the damages each time? Not much and not immediately, obviously. However, Mr. Santamouris believes in small actions. “The role of small actions by people who know, understand, and plan on a small or medium scale, but plan scientifically correct and with a vision, taking into account all parameters and all benefits, will lead to serious results that can be replicated. In a barren space, grass and perhaps some trees should start to grow. However, without the implementation of a comprehensive policy of mitigation and adaptation, every effort will be a Sisyphean punishment. Each time the uphill will become steeper and the stone larger.”
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