Lukashenka Caused Eco Catastrophe?

In Belarus, the global problem of climate change is not yet taken seriously at all levels.

What a strange summer this is - a terrible heat, and then real hurricanes with floods. Even some 20 years ago, the weather was more predictable, and it was definitely not so hot. But this is not the case only with us, Belsat informs.

In Finnish Lapland, where Santa Claus or Christmas Grandfather officially lives, this summer recorded temperature records - up to 35 degrees Celsius, and this is beyond the Arctic Circle.

And in Belarus, the weather has been raging since June. A hurricane wind blowing off roofs and breaking trees, downpours and floods up to the destruction of bridges... and then long-lasting abnormal heat around plus 35. Or is that no longer considered abnormal?

Surprisingly, but the weather still depends on each of us, albeit to varying degrees. The average temperature on the planet is steadily rising as a result of human activities.

“Climate change is taking place. That is, warming during a period when it does not correspond to the natural period, or, conversely, cold rainy weeks and months at a time when the temperature should have been high,” explains Tatiana Tymochko, chairman of the All-Ukrainian Ecological League.

Unfortunately, in Belarus, the global problem of climate change is not yet taken seriously at all levels, even at the Ministry of Nature Protection, says Maria Faloleeva, an expert in international climate policy.

"Climate in Belarus is still regarded as an environmental topic. Protection of some abstract atmosphere. And many places in the world, including not only the leading countries of Europe and America but also countries in our region, for example, Ukraine, the climate and problems associated with climate change is a political and economic problem."

Frosts, heavy rains, and heat kill crops in the fields. Buildings are collapsing. In large cities, gigantic amounts of energy are wasted on air conditioning. And all this money, money, money...

“All farmers unanimously affirm that climate change has a strong impact on agriculture. And I can say as an ecologist that this has a very strong effect on natural ecosystems. For example, this winter, a significant proportion of the animals that were supposed to fall asleep and go into hibernation did not go into hibernation. This exhausts the animals, and they die,” Tatiana Timochka enumerates.

And the most terrible thing is that people die in fires like those that have been raging in Canada this year. An absolute temperature record was recorded there - 46 degrees. Forests are burning, villages are burning, and the Canadian government is warning that heat waves will still return. People are also dying from heatstrokes. In the United States, for example, special cooling centers are being set up this year to give people a break from the heat. Global climate change caused by human activities is a scientifically recognized fact, confirmed by observations and meteorological measurements. And now this fact has become obvious to almost everyone.

“It is human activity that directly influences climate change, both in the industrial and in the post-industrial era,” explains Tatiana Timochko.

Simply put, by mining and burning coal, oil, and gas, humans have released as much carbon into the atmosphere in a few centuries as wildlife has collected from the air over hundreds of millions of years. CO2 and methane are greenhouse gases that absorb sunlight. As a result, the lower layers of the atmosphere are getting warmer, and temperatures on average are rising across the planet. The age-old ice is melting, and the amount of precipitation is also growing.

Global climate changes and a general increase in the average temperature on Earth have launched processes that only worsen the greenhouse effect. Coral reefs in the oceans will overheat and die, and they will stop absorbing carbon dioxide. And here, in Belarus, the forest is drying up.

In such conditions, Belarusian forests require additional care. But the opposite happens - 4 years ago, there were changes in the Forestry Code, the rules for felling were greatly simplified, the green zones were reduced.

"According to the rules, there should have been an inspection of felling. Weak old plantings are removed, leaving the best with an equal distance of two meters. So that within 50 years, there will be a beautiful forest," a forestry worker, who asked to remain anonymous, shows the careless felling of trees.

And now the Belarusians notice that they began to cut the forest much faster. Indeed, for the state, a tree is a source of currency.

Although Belarus signed the Paris Agreement in 2015 - an agreement within the framework of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which stimulates a decrease in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

“Each country has made a commitment to reduce emissions of substances that cause climate change. Commitment to develop alternative - renewable - energy, not related to the use of fossil fuels. Each country has pledged to increase the number of green spaces,” Tatiana Timochko reminds.

Belarus is an active participant in these obligations - formally. However, there are problems with implementation.

"The main activities were to be implemented in 2018, then last year officially the implementation period was extended until 2022," says Maria Faloleeva.

And the voluntary commitments look like this: by 2030, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 28%, but in comparison with 1990. It turns out to be a certain fraud.

“In 1990, when the Soviet Union still existed, emissions of greenhouse gases and other emissions were very high. Therefore, in fact, all these figures - minus 28%, minus 30% - still mean an increase in greenhouse gas emissions for us,” explains Maria Faloleeva.

Therefore, in the climatic rating, which is annually compiled by the non-governmental organization German Watch, the position of Belarus in recent years has dropped from 18th to 36th. After all, while we were asleep, the states of the whole world, especially our European neighbors, acted and accelerated.

And even the Astravets NPP, which will partially replace Russian gas with Russian uranium, will not make a climatic breakthrough for Belarus, the expert explains: “The main event in the field of climate policy for our region and perhaps the whole world is the adoption of the European Green Deal, which will now change the entire landscape of both trade and carbon-free development. And one of the foundations of the European Green Deal is internationalization, as it is impossible to achieve climate goals alone.”

The European Green Deal is a plan adopted by the European Union 2 years ago to move to climate-neutral Europe by 2050. That is, to make the economy sustainable and to improve the quality of life and not the amount of greenhouse emissions. Investments in environmentally friendly technologies will go to all sectors of activity. And for goods that are not climate-neutral, there will be additional duties and taxes.

The European Green Deal should create a global leader in the fight against climate change from the European Union. But it will also apply to neighboring states - in trade and in aid programs. Including through the Eastern Partnership program.