LINZ, Austria—A summer-long series of heatwaves that has been blistering much of Europe since June has turned political.
Elected leaders are facing growing scrutiny for their lackluster response to the deadly consequences of climate extremes, even as their parties continue to pursue policies that worsen the crisis.The extreme temperatures, along with drought, have drained rivers, parched crops and turned fields and forests to tinder and flames, prompting Green parties and citizen groups to call for heat summits and stronger government action.
And in some countries, far-right nationalists are weaponizing the heat and fires by blaming governments they oppose for failing to protect people from the impacts of global warming, while denying that human activity is driving it.
The first surge of blistering temperatures in June caused about 10,000 heat-related deaths across Europe. The total included an estimated 395 mortalities in Austria, where the Green Party called on the government to host a national heat summit.
In Linz, Green Party City Councilwoman Eva Schobesberger is also formally requesting a special session of the city’s legislature to consider immediate steps to protect vulnerable people.
