The entire country struggled with the unprecedented heat of the July 2022 heatwave, but for the disabled, the heat hit even harder. The climate crisis is a threat to everyone’s health, but according toa report in 2021, people with disabilities are more vulnerable to the extreme weather events and natural disasters that result from the climate crisis.

Professor Kristie Ebi of the Centre for Health and the Global at the University of Washington, described the topic of heatwaves and disabled people as being an important issue. “Groups at higher risk during periods of high temperature include people with chronic(慢性的) medical conditions, people who take certain medications that can reduce the ability of the body to sweat, and the “disabled”, notes Ebi, going on to describe the different threats that heatwaves pose for different types of disabilities. Ebi notes the difficulty people with mobility issues or blindness may have with accessing services, such as cooling shelters, Ebi also comments on the importance of making messaging on the dangers of high temperatures accessible to those with learning disabilities or to deaf people,“ Some studies suggest higher rates of suicide and other mental health issues during heatwaves, requiring targeted help for those with mental disabilities,” she added.

Ailsa Speak, a disability and lifestyle blogger, experiences uncontrollable movements in the heat due to her cerebral palsy (脑瘫) “As you can imagine, when my involuntary movements increase, I get even hotter. It’s just a painful circle really.

In the absence of a concrete set of plans for people with disabilities during the climate crisis and extreme weather events, people with disabilities continue to be at increased risk of heat-related disease.

To prevent future death and destruction, the Climate Change Committee CCC), an independent organization tackling climate change, advocates for adaptation planning, as the temperature is set torise further due to the climate crisis and global warming. The CCC’s 2022 report on the health risks of overheating offers adaptation options to the government to ensure that buildings are fit for future climate change. Nevertheless, the publication does not offer specific advice about people with disabilities and overheating, which thus remains to be discussed promptly and thoroughly.

Ethiopia’s eastern lowlands bordering Somalia are suffering through a severe drought. The rainy season was late and not enough, causing great losses among local livestock herds. Coming on the heels of two previous dry years in Ethiopia, the drought of 2017 compounded already serious situation in the country. As a result, many families in the country’s Somali region are experiencing chronic (长期的) food insecurity and concerning rates of a lack of nutrition.

The United States, Ethiopia’s largest donor of emergency and development aid, continues to deliver a large-scale humanitarian response. In late August, USAID Administrator Mark Green announced that in order to help relieve the terrible humanitarian situation, the United States will deliver 91 million dollars in additional humanitarian assistance for those Ethiopians who are even now struggling with severe food insecurity and malnutrition (营养不良).

“This funding will provide additional emergency food assistance and vital medical care,” he said.

A day earlier, Mr. Green announced that Ethiopia had been chosen as one of a dozen countries that will participate in the second period of the Feed the Future Initiative. This 7-year old program aims to reduce global hunger, poverty, and under-nutrition by focusing on smallholder farmers, increasing investments in agriculture, and supporting country-owned plans for improving food security and nutrition while creating opportunities for economic growth and trade. In this way, the United States hopes to help strengthen Ethiopia’s resilience (恢复力) to climatic shocks.

I don’t view development in humanitarian assistance as a gift or a handout. I view it as a hand up. We want to help people stand on their own two feet and build their own brighter futures, and that’s what I hope our assistance can play a useful role in.” said USAID Administrator Green.

In the foot hills of Chianti Classico in central Italy, Elena Lapini and her husband make their way down neat rows of grapevines and inspect their fruit. The grapes are ripening too fast under the hot sun. Too much bronzing on the vine, they will wither into raisins (葡萄干), turning the wine into a sour, unpleasant blend. Getting the harvest date right is crucial for this reason, but climate change is making it increasingly hard.

An analysis of harvest dates going back to 1354 in France found that air temperatures have increased so much that grapes are now harvested two weeks earlier than in medieval times. Elizabeth Wolkovich, a biologist researching the impact of climate change on vine yards, says rising temperatures are changing the taste of wine itself.

For some cooler regions, warming conditions have allowed winemakers to grow more flavorful berries and enjoy longer growing seasons. Germany, best known for its Riesling white wines, has become more favorable to heat-loving grapes. Parts of Britain where it rains frequently now have the perfect climate to make sparkling wines, giving British bubbly from Kent and Sussex a fair fight against French champagne. But in warmer places like France, Italy and Spain ripening grapes at a higher temperature means more sugar and less acid in the berry, making high-alcohol, honey-like wines.

Climate change is also threatening the world's wine supply. In April producers in Italy and France found themselves lighting thousands of bucket-sized candles to warm the air against a killer frost that threatened to destroy buds emerging with the first warm spells of spring. In some regions the frost wiped out 90% of the crop, resulting in an estimated €2bn loss, French officials described it as “probably the greatest agricultural catastrophe at the beginning of the 21st century”.