2023-07-16 07:43:05
Several departments are already facing drought when we are only at the beginning of summer. But on France Inter, the Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau apparently wanted to temporize the situation in the face of “temperatures which are (for this summer) quite normal for a summer”. This is enough to annoy many environmental activists and researchers who deplore remarks that are inconsistent with the reality of the situation.
Asked about the fears around the lack of water in certain territories, the Minister of Agriculture thus gave his opinion on the temperatures of recent weeks. “We did not have extreme temperatures, we have temperatures that are quite normal for a summer,” he explained. on France Inter, explaining that this avoided “evapotranspiration” from groundwater. “We were at 65% of the water tables which were a situation lower than normal, we are at 68%: we are at a stabilizing element”, he continued, saying however that he was vigilant about the situation in Aude. , the Pyrénées-Orientales, the Rhône Valley and the Rhône corridor.
“When will our politicians understand? »
“Normal temperatures”? The minister’s few words provoked indignation among some. Research director at the CEA and IPCC researcher, paleoclimatologist Valérie Masson-Delmotte recalled that Météo France had determined that the month of June had been the second hottest since 2003, with an average temperature of 2.6°C above above normal. “And on the side of the sea surface temperature, 5 months of unprecedented temperature record in the North Atlantic, and again an intense marine heat wave in the Mediterranean”, she insisted on Twitter, referring to “a beginning extraordinary summer”, a far cry from the minister’s statement.
???? And on the sea surface temperature side #fishing5 months of unprecedented temperature record in the North Atlantic, and again an intense sea heat wave in the Mediterranean♨️????
An extraordinary start to summer. pic.twitter.com/pVwu6BzRgh
— Dr. Valérie Masson-Delmotte (@valmasdel) July 15, 2023
“Does this really look like a normal summer @MFesneau? » challenged Vakita, the media specializing in the environment of Hugo Clément, recalling in particular that since June 1, we had recorded “41 days above the standards”. “When will our politicians understand and take on the challenges of climate change? wondered agronomist Serge Zaka. Climatologist Christophe Cassou denounced “a reassuring minister who explains that we are living in a climatically normal summer”.
Our Minister of Agriculture @MFesneau claims that we are experiencing a “normal” summer on @France Inter.
When will our politicians understand and take on the challenges of climate change?????
➡ Since June 1st: 4 days below standards against 41 above.
➡️A… pic.twitter.com/tUrUsao2Wd— Dr. Serge Zaka (Dr. Zarge) (@SergeZaka) July 15, 2023
Without making a mea culpa, the Minister of Agriculture replied to Valérie Masson-Delmotte in a long tweet. “I am fully aware of the global warming and the mortal danger for the future of humanity, for our agriculture and for our ecosystems of this disruption”, he writes. And the Minister to repeat: “This year, overall, and to date, it is a slightly less dry start to summer than 2022 and less severe heat waves than last year with, on the other hand, a higher average temperature. “To say that, all that, is just describing a reality and facts. It doesn’t invalidate anything we have to do and what the IPCC says. This in no way invalidates the urgency, ”he assures.
I absolutely agree with what you say and I am fully aware of the global warming and the mortal danger for the future of humanity, for our agriculture and for our ecosystems of this disruption. This year, overall, and to date it is an early summer…
— Marc Fesneau (@MFesneau) July 15, 2023
This exit from the Minister of Agriculture is reminiscent of that of Sandrine Rousseau. In a tweet published on Thursday, the Green MP had warned of the situation in Spain where “it is 60 ° C”, without specifying that it was a temperature on the ground. Faced with criticism from other environmental activists and researchers accusing her of discrediting the cause by taking a measurement on the ground and not in the shade, Sandrine Rousseau insisted and repeated that it was 60°C in Spain.
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