It's really hot in the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar. On summer nights, temperatures rarely fall under 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit), and during the day they can rise upwards of 48 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit).
In response, Qatar has done something that sounds absurd: it has started to air condition its outdoor spaces - a "solution" that, ultimately, could exacerbate the sweltering heat.
A story by The Washington Post dives deep into Qatar's temperature woes, pointing out how the extreme heat has now put the health of Qatar's residents at risk. In response, it's installed air conditioning units in its open-air sports stadiums, malls, and markets.
The air conditioners may work to temporarily cool Qatar's residents, but they are an environmental catch-22: the nation uses fossil fuels in order to generate the electricity needed to run the devices.
Facing unbearable heat, Qatar is air-conditioning the outdoors. The rising temperatures signal a larger problem: Climate change: https://t.co/5wLMnWpeKU pic.twitter.com/FJXpzGvdCl
— Post Graphics (@PostGraphics) October 17, 2019
These fossil fuels, in turn, produce carbon emissions, that contribute to the global warming that is cooking its public spaces.
@washingtonpost Quatar needs the equivalent of 9 earths to support the lifestyle of those living there. In contrast India inspite of its size and population needs half an earth.
— Sridevi Rao Ph.D (@sitahyderabadi) October 18, 2019
Although signatories of the Paris Agreement agreed to try to avoid letting temperatures rise to two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, the nation has already exceeded this threshold - which means Qatar's current situation could foreshadow our future one.
Insanity. Unsustainable. How will countries without wealth/resources adapt?
— Diane Husic (@HusicDiane) October 18, 2019
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