(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Europe: Through fire, everything changes? [1] ['Greg Dworkin', 'Crimson Quillfeather', 'Chloris Creator'] Date: 2026-08-01 When you have spent every working day improving the efficiencies of combustion, heat transfer, and pumps/compressors for thirty years or so, words begin to fail you as to why the fuck you are doing it at all. The sole objective has always been to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the temptation of reducing running costs. The article attached today expresses a guide to what needs to be done; the current and increasing climate emergency is not going away all by itself. Politicians only act decisively when forced to do so. Even when the associated excess death counts climb almost every year. Joëlle Zask, philosopher: ‘When it comes to megafires, political will at the highest level depends on the will of the citizen majority’ -Le Monde https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2026/07/31/joelle-zask-philosopher-when-it-comes-to-megafires-political-will-at-the-highest-level-depends-on-the-will-of-the-citizen-majority_6756026_23.html you can read for free here: https://archive.is/XDp9P at least please give the main link a click out of courtesy. Extreme wildfires are a security threat that calls for a new social contract, according to the university professor. In an opinion piece for Le Monde, she advocates for an approach that combines prevention, environmentalism and solidarity. Forests are burning more than ever before. Every year, a new record is set for the number of hectares consumed by uncontrollable fires. Hundreds of thousands of people – vacationers, firefighters, livestock breeders, residents, farmers and campers – have been left deeply traumatized. The phenomenon of fire is intensifying and now appears in a relatively new form: the extreme fire, or megafire. As temperatures soar, animal and plant species mutate or disappear, and the landscape dries out. Yet our ways of responding have barely changed. All of this is true: We lack equipment and political will from our leaders. But even if resources and leaders were in place, it would not be enough. What we are missing is a fundamentally plural (not unilateral) approach to the issue of megafires, as well as a general will to prevent them. Above all, it is essential to take action at every level – local, national and international – to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, which are responsible for climate change. Yet today, while cries of distress are deafening, calls for a radical shift toward environmentalism in our ways of life are painfully absent. Less than a year before France’s presidential election, environmentalist parties are nearly silent, and decisive environmental measures have not gained broad support, according to polls. Moreover, efforts fade as soon as agriculture, cars or economic competitiveness are at stake. We can safely discount the mega-rich from changing their desire for ever more wealth, the drive towards ever bigger data centres to process their AI genies; one can but hope that AI will too regard the climate crisis as an existential danger. The current clamour with the calls of we must adapt in turn means we won’t change what we are doing. Anyway, read the article; I am tired of playing Cassandra, and the dead remain silent. Politicians and the media need to stand the fuck up, and so do we. A Morning Muse ~A [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/1/800078243/community/europe-burning-through-fire-everything-changes/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/