Keyword: Climate change
Articles
The average tree cover in European cities is currently 18.5%. Every 5 percentage points of urban canopy reduces PM2.5 concentrations by 2.8%, NO₂ by 1.4% and ozone by 1.2%. In health terms, this means around 4,700 premature deaths avoided each year in Europe. By bringing every city to at least 30% tree cover, the number of lives saved would rise to almost 12,000 each year. In 2019, urban trees have already “saved” around 24,800 people from dying prematurely due to air pollution.
In recent years, Europe has experienced scorching summers, unexpected floods, droughts and wildfires on a scale we did not know before—causing estimated economic losses of €738 billion between 1980 and 2023, including more than €162 billion in 2021–2023 alone (source: EEA). Many of the damages caused by these events often remain unresolved: felled trees that are not replaced, infrastructure that is never rebuilt, territories left to deteriorate. This creates a vicious circle: the lack of resources to repair damage increases vulnerability to future events, worsening the economic and social impact of disasters. Do we really still think all of this is “normal”?
Cover photo: A climbing plant scorched by the heat in Albiate (MB). Drafted on July 7, updated on July 8, 2025. The story of environmental degradation in Albiate—illegal dumping, climate change, and reforestation—began in 2006. […]
Human health is linked to environmental degradation. “Clearly, drought will threaten food security, water insecurity will increase the risk of infectious disease transmission, and agricultural productivity will be jeopardized”. Public health indicators monitored by an international group of experts show that “the climate crisis is also a health crisis.
Poplars are ill-suited to cope with climate change for two reasons: their roots do not penetrate deeply enough to withstand the increasing water stress, and their height makes them vulnerable to the increasingly frequent storms, even in Brianza. In April, out of 271 poplars planted 25 years ago, 116 had died (271 – 155), almost half. I requested permission to replace them with lime trees in the Regional Park of the Lambro Valley but, to date, after several months of waiting, I have received no response.
UNICEF: Citizens in poorer regions increasingly rely on cheaper ultra-processed foods and drinks. The alternatives are therefore: malnutrition and obesity.
On the land next to my house (about 25 hectares, of park open to all), from February 2023 to today, 123 trees have died: a silent but real massacre. In Italy in 2023, extreme events rose to 378, marking a +22% compared to 2022. The images and videos speak for themselves.