DYING FROM HEAT... IT'S POSSIBLE

If the outside temperature is above 35°C (95°F) and the humidity level is 100%... we die.

Our body needs to maintain a temperature of about 36.5°C (97.7°F). When exposed to high temperatures, it releases excess heat through sweating.

The higher the humidity in the air, the less effective sweating becomes. At 100% humidity, sweating is no longer possible, and the body can no longer regulate its temperature.

➡️ Without sweating, the body stops cooling down, leading to death within a few hours.

Due to climate change, this fatal threshold of 35°C at 100% humidity has already been exceeded in several regions of the world (Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, India, etc.), even though forecasts didn't expect this to happen until 2050.

⚠️ A word of caution: depending on age, wind conditions, shade, individual physiology, and other factors, the tolerance threshold can vary.

Some regions of the planet are therefore at risk of becoming uninhabitable for humans, leading to massive population displacement.

🇫🇷 And don't think France is safe. Back in 2003, the heatwave caused many deaths, even though the situation was less alarming than what we are seeing today. Our lifestyles and our bodies are less adapted to high temperatures, and France experiences relatively high humidity levels.

MALADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE:
ARTIFICIAL RAIN

The idea: Making it rain artificially.

Cloud seeding, or artificial rain, involves releasing chemicals (aerosols, silver iodide, liquid nitrogen, etc.) into clouds to act as particles for water vapor to cling to. This forms droplets that merge, get heavier, and fall: resulting in rain.

Usually, just hearing that is enough to know it's a bad idea.

But for the skeptics out there, here are the major problems with this technique:

❌ Disrupting natural cycles: Altering precipitation patterns can disturb natural ecosystems, affect biodiversity, and exacerbate existing environmental imbalances.

❌ Equity and access to common resources: When deployed in specific regions, it risks depriving neighboring areas of the rain that would have naturally fallen on their territory. This can worsen inequalities in access to water.

❌ Tackling the problem backward: Instead of focusing on sustainable water management and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions partly responsible for the depletion of Earth's water resources, we are trying to create rain artificially using chemicals, airplanes, and so on.

❌ Misallocation of technical and financial resources: Implementing such a project requires significant financial and technical resources. Investing in these projects can divert funds from more sustainable solutions for conservation and improved water management.

❌ Questionable effectiveness: The success rate of cloud seeding is estimated at 10%.

👉🏻 The use of such technologies highlights the climate emergency and the need to find sustainable solutions to fight drought and climate change, rather than implementing risky, half-baked fixes.

There are long-term solutions that don't cause further damage:

💦 Limit non-essential water use: golf courses, swimming pools, etc.

🌍 Reforestation and adopting sustainable agriculture help improve natural water retention and restore ecosystems.

🌱 Encourage water conservation practices, both at home and in the workplace. For example: install a rain barrel in your garden or your company’s green spaces and use that water for irrigation.