Italy! Switzerland! And Climate Change...
In this post, we travel to Italy and Switzerland and discuss some connections to climate change. Let's get into it!
Hello everyone and welcome back to another installment of Jilling Around the World! Today, I have quite the treat for y’all. This past weekend, I traveled to Italy and Switzerland for some much needed relaxation and exploration! Let’s get into it!
Italy
As I was pondering existence on a Thursday evening (as one does), I decided that no one was stopping me from taking a train to Italy the next day. It still blows my mind that I am able to so easily travel from country to country here in Europe. The accessibility and relative affordability of travel is truly unmatched. So...the first destination of my spontaneous weekend trip to Italy is…Venice!
Venice
After about 6 hours of spectacular views on the train, I arrived in Venice. This city is unique in countless ways, but one of the most notable is that it is composed of 150 canals that create 126 islands, which are connected by 472 bridges1. It is only accessible from the mainland by a 4 kilometer long bridge and no cars are allowed in the city. Venice is the only city in the world that is truly car free. Biking in Venice is also prohibited, as the countless stairs, narrow streets, and dead ends make it difficult and even hazardous. The main mode of transportation is walking and boating. The canals are populated with gondolas, sàndolos, vaporettos, and traghettos2. There are about 400 gondoliers operating in Venice and they are an iconic part of the Venetian culture.
Venetian Canals and Rising Sea Levels
It may be tempting to swim in the canals, but it is strictly forbidden and comes with a hefty fine. In addition, the canals are considered heavily polluted from the immense amount of boating activity, industrial waste runoff from Porto Marghera, and sewage from residences. The water is quite brackish, as it is a combination of the fresh lagoon water and salt water from the Adriatic Sea. The Venetian lagoon is very shallow, with an average depth of only 1 meter3. The close proximity to the Adriatic Sea also means that the city is susceptible to tidal patterns, intense storms, and rising sea levels. The combination of the placement of the city and the increasingly concerning climate change patterns create discussions surrounding the future of the city.
Since 1872, 324 intense high water events have impacted Venice. Even more concerning, over half of these events have occurred within the last 30 years. One of the worst flooding events occurred in 2019, as over 6 feet of water inundated the city and caused over 80% of the city to be underwater. This caused over one billion Euros in damage and caused serious damage to nearly 75% of Venices’ infrastructure4. The European Geosciences Union has estimated that the historical average sea level rise was 2.5 mm/year. Now, that estimate is above 3 mm/year. By this estimate, Venice could see higher sea levels of nearly 180 cm, or 6 feet, by 21005.
MOSE
Venice is developing several potential solutions to mitigate the intra-city flooding. One of the most innovative and expensive engineering solutions is MOSE. It consists of a series of 78 floodgates placed around the inlets of the Venetian lagoon that are triggered by tides larger than 3.6 feet. MOSE is capable of handling tides up to 9.8 feet, which indicates a long-term strategy for flooding prevention. The total cost of this project is 5.5 billion euros and is estimated to be completed by the end of 2025.6 This project has faced numerous delays related to lawsuits, corruption, and resistance from various environmental groups. Some experts argue that the concept of this project is outdated and will severely impact the natural ecology of the area, essentially preventing the natural drainage and aquatic interchange between the Venetian Lagoon and Adriatic Sea. Only time will tell if MOSE will be a viable solution for Venice’s flooding.
Switzerland
After my foray in Italy, I traveled north to Switzerland. Switzerland is a small, mountainous country located in the heart of Western Europe. It is about the size of New Jersey and 60% is covered by the Alps. There are three distinct regions of Switzerland: the Swiss Alps, the Swiss Plateau, and the Jura Mountains. Switzerland boasts 42 peaks above 4,000 meters, making it a very popular destination for mountaineers, winter sports enthusiasts, and hikers7.
Zurich
While in Switzerland, I visited Zurich. It is the largest city in Switzerland and a hub for economic sectors. While there, I spent some time admiring Lake Zurich, visited the Lindt Chocolate factory, and enjoyed the scenic Swiss architecture.
Glacier Initiative
The Glacier Initiative was a popular Swiss referendum related to carbon neutrality and zero fossil fuel usage by 2050. This referendum was created by the Swiss Association for Climate Protection in 2019 as a way for citizens to influence public policy through direct democracy8. This referendum set the stage for the Climate Protection Act passed in 2023. Nearly 60% of all Swiss citizens voted yes to carbon neutrality by 2050, indicating the strong focus on environmentalism and clean energy production in Switzerland. This climate protection law is the means by which Switzerland will follow through with their promises within the Paris Agreement9.
The Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement is a global treaty signed in 2016 that legally binds 195 nations to follow through with three main climate change initiatives:
Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change
Increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production
Making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development10
This treaty is incredibly important to our world’s effort against climate change, as it reveals that almost every UN recognized nation is invested in the fight to mitigate the negative impacts. This agreement provides flexibility and freedom for each nation to develop methods that are best suited for their country, while providing overarching goals to accomplish. It is expected that more technologically developed nations will assist less developed countries with solutions. Every five years, participating nations are expected to submit “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs) that must have increasingly ambitious plans to achieve the three main goals of the Paris Agreement. In addition, a new 2024 initiative called the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) will enable more transparent reporting from individual nations, global feedback on NDC initiatives, and an accessible Global stocktake that accurately measures progress. Ultimately, the Paris Agreement provides a strong foundation for our world to develop accomplishable goals, invest in global solutions, and promote accountability for climate change initiatives11.
Environmental Performance Index
The Environmental Performance Index provides insight into climate change progress, sustainability initiatives, and ecosystem health within 180 countries. It is based upon 40 different indicators to achieve various stated national environmental policies. It is a heavily data-based collaboration between the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and The Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University’s Earth Institute12. The 2022 version is linked below for your viewing pleasure.
2022 Environmental Performance Index Report
Conclusion
Thank you all for reading along this week! I really enjoyed my time in Italy and Switzerland, and definitely will be returning back someday. I am very grateful to have these opportunities that inspire me to think more about environmentalism. Thanks again and stay Jilly! 🌲
https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/special_issue1124.html
https://www.mosevenezia.eu/project/?lang=en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Alps#cite_note-5
https://www.iamexpat.ch/expat-info/swiss-expat-news/what-glacier-initiative-switzerland#:~:text=The%20%E2%80%9CFor%20a%20healthy%20climate,are%20no%20%E2%80%9Ctechnical%20alternatives.%E2%80%9D
https://gletscher-initiative.ch/blog/die-schweiz-sagt-ja
https://unfccc.int/files/essential_background/convention/application/pdf/english_paris_agreement.pdf
https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement
https://epi.yale.edu/
girl i know you were going to swim around those canals in venice ... hope you didn't get fined silly girl