Harris warns that the climate crisis has become "a real threat"

MADRID, 2 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, has warned this Monday that the climate crisis has become a real threat, and has urged the US Congress to carry out a package of measures announced by the Biden Administration to combat climate change. .

"Climate change has become a climate crisis. And it is a threat that has become a reality (...) So, to protect the people of our nation, let us understand that we can join that desire with action and that We must act now," the US vice president said during an event in Miami, according to a White House statement.

Harris recalled the extreme weather events that have shaken the country in the last year --including fires, hurricanes, extreme heat waves and floods, more than 20--, emphasizing what has happened during these days in Kentucky, where 37 people have died from floods.

"In recent days, deadly flooding has swept through Missouri and Kentucky, leveling entire neighborhoods, leaving at least 37 dead, including babies, children. So the devastation is real. The damage is real. The impact is real. And we are witnessing in real time," stressed Harris.

In this sense, he recalled the forest fires that in 2021 burned more than a million hectares in California, the numerous hurricanes and tropical storms that make landfall each year in Florida, or the "megadrought" that the west of the country is experiencing.

He has also mentioned the cost of these extreme phenomena: "each one caused more than 1,000 million dollars (973 million euros) in damage and, more importantly, resulted in the death of some 700 people."

"And the bottom line is clear: as the climate crisis worsens, extreme weather will pose an increasing danger to an increasing number of communities," said Harris, who received applause from attendees during his talk this Monday at Florida International University.

Faced with this situation, the Biden Administration has announced a package of measures with which it seeks to curb the impact of the climate crisis in the United States as much as possible.

Among the measures is the allocation of more than 48 million euros to protect low-lying neighborhoods from rising sea levels and storm surges, or the investment of 360 million euros in "clean energy, zero-emission vehicles, environmental justice and more".

"This is a historic opportunity to advance our fight against the climate crisis. So, Congress, we ask you to approve it immediately," Harris has asked, who has argued that the country has a responsibility to take "urgent measures" to protect to the population.

"If we act now and act together, we can protect our communities from the disasters we are witnessing. We can address the climate crisis and ensure that everyone can breathe clean air, drink clean water and have access to clean energy," he added. .