Torrential rainfall in the southern and eastern parts of Spain led to
deadly flash floods that have left utter destruction and devastation in their wake.
At least 205 people have died, and dozens more are still missing. The photos and first hand accounts are absolutely heartbreaking.
A courthouse turned into a temporary morgue. Six residents of a retirement home killed. Collapsed roads blocking emergency services from rescuing those still trapped and suffering. The loss has been so great that the government of Spain announced "three days of official mourning."
According to World Weather Attribution scientists,
climate change "made the torrential rainfall that hit Spain about 12% heavier and twice as likely." Other experts have concluded that a warmer Atlantic Ocean fueled the heavy rain, made up to 300 times more likely due to global warming.
If this hurricane season has taught us anything, it's that
the real life deadly effects of climate change are here. We must demand better from our world's governments!
Sign the petition to demand the European Parliament and all participating European Union countries commit to radical emissions cuts!While the European Union has been a world leader in climate policy, more work is clearly still needed to curb emissions quickly enough to reverse the tide on climate catastrophe. In January 2024, the European Commission set the admirable recommendation that the EU cut emissions
90% by 2040 in order to reach the EU's net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal by 2050. This is the type of aggressive action we need to see from world governments to save us from climate devastation.
Extreme weather events, like Spain's flooding or Hurricane Helene in the United States, will continue to get worse if we don't act quickly and strongly.While the European Commission's recommendation is heartening, it still requires approval and action from the European Parliament and the EU's countries to pass policies to achieve such a robust goal.
In the wake of Spain's tragedy, we must urge these governing bodies to do what's right for Spain, the EU, and the world.Sign the petition demanding true, persistent climate action from the European Parliament and EU countries to reach 90% reduced emissions by 2040!