Víctor Resco de Dios
Lecturer of Forestry Engineering and Global Change, University of Lleida and researcher at Agrotecnio
When we wrap an old-fashioned mercury thermometer in a damp cloth, we measure what is known as the ‘wet-bulb temperature’, which tells us how much the temperature drops due to humidity. In other words, it indicates the body’s ability to regulate its temperature through sweating. There comes a point, when the wet-bulb temperature exceeds 26–28 °C, at which we have difficulty regulating our temperature through sweating, which can trigger a breakdown in our body.
The last time the World Cup was held in the United States was in 1994. During that World Cup, the wet-bulb temperature exceeded 26 °C and 28 °C for 21 and three days, respectively. These figures are expected to rise to 26 and five days for wet-bulb temperatures above 26 and 28 °C. This represents a significant increase in risk for players and also for spectators.
We have already seen several players collapse due to high temperatures at sporting events. If we continue to fail to mitigate climate change, we should at least start adapting to it. As far as sporting competitions are concerned, this means changing the dates of these tournaments, as happened in Qatar four years ago. We should also rethink the venues and play more matches in New York and fewer in Dallas, for example.
In 2022, Kylian Mbappé and the then PSG manager, Christophe Galtier, laughed off the proposal to travel by train to Nantes (400 km from Paris) to play a match, thereby emitting fewer emissions than travelling by plane. I hope you enjoy the matches, and hopefully the World Cup will help to ensure that measures are taken to curb the growing threat posed by climate change.