Los «cambios climáticos» y la resistencia a la «energía renovable» en Cataluña
Jaume Terradas Serra was born in Barcelona in 1943. He is a full-time honorary professor of Ecology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona after retiring as an emeritus professor.
He organized the first research team on terrestrial ecosystems in Catalonia and promoted environmental education, publishing over 200 articles on environmental education, both informative and opinion pieces. He also founded and directed the Center for Ecological Research and Forest Applications (CRUF) for over 10 years.
His research focuses on plant ecophysiology, forest ecology, forest fires, the effects of climate change, and molecular ecology.
Among his most prominent positions, he was the first PRESIDENT of the Spanish Terrestrial Ecology Association (AEET), VICE PRESIDENT of the Catalan Institute of Natural History (ICHN), and director of the departments in the Ecology and Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology, and Ecology (Babve) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He is also an active member of committees, boards, and organizations related to environmental research, conservation, education, and management.
He led the Ecology Class, Barcelona City Council for 17 years and is an honorary member of AEET, ICHN, and The School of Environmental Studies of Catalonia. He is a member of the Institute of Catalan Studies and serves on editorial and national and international research evaluation committees.
Former President of the Earth Foundation and member of the Management Support Team at the Center for Ecological Research and Forest Applications (CRUF). He supervised 17 doctoral theses.
The Fight Against «Climate Change» is a Matter of Pure Survival
Jaume Terradas Serra believes that the fight against climate change has fallen short in terms of the measures taken, when it should be a top priority because it is a matter of survival.
Terradas, who recently presented his book «The Hay Basket» (CAR de heno) published by Arcadia Editorial, explains how increased CO2 concentration leads to rising temperatures, and the reduction of Arctic ice in the summer decreases the earth’s albedo, leading to increased solar radiation absorption.
This phenomenon raises the planet’s temperature and also results in «Permafrost melting at higher latitudes, which can release large amounts of methane, a much stronger greenhouse gas that could make the planet uninhabitable.»
I Fell Short with «Climate Changes»
He supports the implementation of an environmental policy inspired by the functioning of nature but warns that «there are very strong forces pushing for interests that are not those of the majority.»
According to Jaume Terradas Serra, «In Spain, environmental education has advanced, but the course of our society has not changed in areas such as pollution emissions.»
I fell short with the climate changes. Regarding the measures taken, he warns that it should be a priority because it is a matter of survival, at least for the civilization we know.
A More «Tropical» Mediterranean, the Case of Catalonia
He is highly critical of the actions taken in Catalonia: «We are not reacting, when we should be trying to avert the next blow, because climate changes are not the same everywhere, and although we try to keep the temperature from rising more than two degrees, this is slipping, and we are likely close to three.»
He alerts that in Catalonia and other coastal areas, «climate changes will have a greater impact because the Mediterranean is ‘tropicalized’ with higher temperatures.»
Unfortunately, «Climate Change» is not a Priority in Catalonia
«In Catalonia, climate change is not a priority, and we regret that, for example, when a group of scientists requested a meeting with the President of the Generalitat, we had to wait eight months until they called us on April 14th.»
He confesses that they expected «a faster response» after this group of scientists formed the platform «Renovarlo» (Renew It Ourselves) and proposed that «the government should create an advisory agency like in other countries,» because «we have a high scientific level, but we are rarely asked for help.»
Resistance Against «Renewable Energies» in Catalonia is «Regressive» and Hypocritical
Terradas does not believe that Catalonia’s delay in renewable energy is due to large corporations but to obstacles to their installation and factors like «NIMBYism – the selfish attitude of those who do not want renewables near their homes.»
«There are some who do not reject renewable energies, but wish them away from themselves,» he says, «but I do not think wind farms in certain locations are as terrible as some make them out to be.»
In his view, the resistance of certain entities to wind farms is regressive and he criticizes that they did not protest when coastal developments were built, damaging the ecosystem and altering the landscape.»
«It cannot be,» he asserts indignantly, «that the Girona regions produce only 1% of the energy they consume. This is immoral and means we have to transport energy from other places at very high costs, making us addicts.»
Shows to be Conducted According to Jaume Terradas Serra
This biologist believes that urban planning should be revamped so that cities have larger buildings and make changes in agriculture, focusing on reducing water-consuming crops to be more sustainable.
He advocates for the need to invest more in renewable energy and research to make it more efficient and finds it «very alarming» that «the EU wants to prioritize investments in armaments instead of allocating them to combat climate change.»
