The extreme urgency of addressing environmental matters

If there is anything this Summer is teaching us, I would say it is about the urgency of addressing climate change. It has been an abnormal season, in most of Europe and elsewhere. Now, the extensive forest fires in Siberia and other Arctic regions have given us additional evidence we have entered another epoch in human life. Our duty is to join our voices and political pressure to those activists and to the scientists that keeping underlining the gravity of the current trends. The change must occur now, and it ought to be deep and resolute.

We have no longer the luxury of ignoring the issue. And that’s the message that people like Greta Thunberg are fighting for. Now, we must make the politicians and corporations act.

The middle of August

In my corner of the world, this is peak holiday time. This week end is a particularly busy one. Traffic, on roads and airports, is just pretty heavy. The outside world is kept outside the people´s minds. More than usually, that´s it. No time to think about the huge discrepancy between our own life styles and those prevalent in many parts of the planet. This a moment for beach and sun. Our thick skin is anxious to get a good tan. That´s the way we see things around here. 

Silly season

I have been asked to write about conspiracy theories. My reaction was pretty spontaneous. I looked at my editor with big eyes. Then I thought about the timing: the piece will be out next week, right by the middle of August…

It is therefore absolutely evident we are at the peak of the “silly season”…

Summer break, please do not disturb, we are Europeans

I am now at Vilamoura village in the middle of Algarve, Portugal. This is traditionally a week when the European affairs stop and people just want to think about the beach, the sun and the drinks. But this year summer has been different, with too many things going on in the international arena. People in Iraq, Libya, Liberia, Ukraine and some other hot spots should be told that Europeans do not like to be disturbed by dramatic events in August. Those people who ignore it and get into crisis do it at their own risk. The Europeans are now at the beach…

Summer matters

I am on vacation this week in the Southern Province of Portugal, known as Algarve. It is still the peak of the holiday season in this part of the world. The beach going crowd is still very busy getting tanned. People from Portugal and from other places in Northern Europe live side by side practising the same old cult of Sun worship. This is a very non-violent way of celebrating life and a certain standard of living. Many might not be able to afford it, but the fact of the matter is that it opens a large number of jobs and business opportunities. A good Summer is synonymous of good business.  

Summer in Portugal

The preliminary assessments seem to indicate that this has been so far a good summer season in Portugal. The number of foreign visitors is up. Many of them chose the country because it remains tranquil and predictable. There have been no serious labour disruptions this summer.  It should continue like that.

Lisbon as seen from my veranda looks like a major destination for large cruise ships. Every day I see at least two coming in the morning for a day visit. It’s a great view. We need the business they bring in. But we also need them to have a good day in the city and be able to go back and tell everyone that the place is fine and worth the visit.

At the end of the day, tourism is about business and image. Both are critical for a country like Portugal.