Italy’s leading climate scientists signed an open letter published in Wednesday’s edition of La Repubblica. In it they called on the nation’s political leaders and parties to prioritise action to address the climate emergency.
The open letter highlights how the effects of global heating are already manifest in the Mediterranean area. Italy and the area are suffering from heat waves, droughts, the melting of glaciers and extreme bouts of rainfall.
Nobel Prize-winning physicist Giorgio Parisi publicly backed the appeal in an interview in the daily newspaper.
What are the scientists asking for?
The letter asks for structural measures for the current climate scenario and action to prevent the emergency getting even worse. This means reducing greenhouse gas emissions, decarbonising and circularising the economy; as well as “accelerating the path towards a true energy and ecological transition”.
“We strongly call on the political world to consider the climate crisis a priority problem to address, because it undermines our whole future at the foundation,” it continued.
“We hope for manifestos that address these issues in depth and for rapid action by the next government on the climate crisis and its impacts”.
Parisi said voters should prioritise the climate emergency too. “It is important that the parties clearly put their projects for the fight against climate change in their manifestos. “But it is equally important that the electors decide on who to vote for on the basis of which of these projects they find most convincing”.
