The hoaxes regarding climate change are a “recurrent message” of a “minority but very noisy” current that science confronts with data and evidence.
This is pointed out by the teacher and researcher of the University of La Laguna (ULL) and member of the Committee of Climate Change Experts, Noelia Cruz, who refuses to talk about beliefs: “climate change is confirmed by science, it is not a matter of believing or not believing”.
Cruz has been the guest of a new episode of the Islas Responsables podcast, an initiative of Islas Responsables Lab (IRLab) of the Government of the Canary Islands that, presented by journalist Carlos Torret, aims to make visible the talent existing in the archipelago.
After a long training process, Noelia Cruz made a journey through different countries that "opened her mind and I stopped seeing borders" to value opportunities. However, in the exercise of her profession as an engineer -in a very masculinized sector such as construction- she discovered that this was not her true vocation and set her sights on research and teaching.
Defender of the public education system, she insists on telling young people that “in our public universities, science can be done and much can be done from here to improve the Canary Islands”.
From the Committee of Climate Change Experts, work is being done in different disciplines, but they have especially focused on climate shelters, especially thinking about the vulnerable population.
Cruz recalls that in the islands school activity has already been cancelled twice due to the high temperatures "and that speaks of climate change, of how our buildings are constructed and of how unprepared we are for extreme temperatures."
"One of the attractions of the Canary Islands is the mild climate. If it becomes more severe, there will be visitors who decide not to come”
Likewise, it highlights that this team has focused on measures aimed at compensating the carbon footprint in island territories, a process to which all citizens can contribute “with simple actions,” such as energy self-sufficiency or the use of public transport.
The management of water in the archipelago is another of the issues that arouses interest in the Committee of Climate Change experts. While in the western islands one of the lines of work focuses on aquifers, in the eastern territories the focus is on the desalination of seawater, a technique in which there is still room to increase self-sufficiency with clean energy, she states. Likewise, she understands that the management of water destined for the primary sector must be improved. In general, Noelia Cruz points out, it is necessary to continue taking “integral decisions for a more efficient management” of this resource.
Regarding climate change, the expert points out that the islands are moving towards a scenario of” higher temperatures, less rainfall and a lengthening of drought periods”. These new conditions will especially affect mid-altitude crops, but they can also have repercussions on a sector as important for the archipelago's economy as tourism. “One of the attractions of the Canary Islands is the temperate climate. If it becomes more severe, there will be visitors who decide not to come,” she explains.
In any case, he states that current research, such as that carried out by the Sicma Foundation, allows for making projections very specific at the Canary Islands level. “That is very relevant because informed decisions can be made, responses can be optimized, and we can adapt to new circumstances.”
Furthermore, it highlights the importance that public entities, such as island water councils or the cabildos, are consulting these investigations before approving their policies, which demonstrates the interest and relevance of these works.