Disasters: drought, soil loss, motorway accident

We all pretend to be missing out on the global transformation that climate change is causing. It's irrational that the problem doesn't even reach their brains, because someone else will solve it. The way we live, the way we meet our needs, the way we use the land, the water, the energy all have an impact on the world and ultimately on us, and not just in a positive way. Unfortunately, the imposition of outdated methods are creating life-threatening situations. Today there was a serious traffic accident in the Zsámbéki basin on the M1 motorway. The day before, on Friday, heavy machinery was working on a nearby giga field owned by a Hungarian oligarch. It's important to know that despite the winter precipitation, soils are already drying rapidly and the top 20 centimetres have surprisingly little water, ranging from 30(!)-70%, with quite large variations. In the Zsámbéki basin, the water content of the upper 20 cm layer of the soil is around 50%, so it is quite dry. What should not happen, has happened. The dry earth dusted by the heavy machinery was picked up by the gale-force winds and carried across the highway. Someone slammed on the brakes when they hit the cloud of dust, causing many people to rush into it and a pile-up. Importantly, the dust is actually dead soil that has been destroyed by poor agricultural practices.

This picture is taken from the Google Maps street view. It shows the state of the Po river near Pieve del Cairo last August. In 2022, Europe was hit by drought, which did not end everywhere, including Italy. It is shocking to see that the mighty Po River, with a catchment area of 72,000 square kilometres, is half as wide as it should be. It is a vital river for agriculture and cities in northern Italy. Incredible as it may seem, our modern world is not safe from water scarcity and all its negative consequences! All the convenience, all the technology, all the money is worth nothing if you can't drink clean, sweet water and die in three days. I can't imagine what goes through people's minds that they don't think about the basics of our lives, about nature, its blessings and the key element of water. Europe could also face food shortages due to the impossibility of agricultural production! This is a looming problem. Where will water come from if it doesn't rain for months and we are wasteful with our existing supplies? And the main problem will not be that the "nice green lawn" will burn out.