To Lusa, Fátima Alves, a PhD in Sociology, says that the fight against climate change must be done by all those involved in nature, from politicians, companies and the population.

Using the example of red fruits, produced in Alentejo, Fátima Alves advances that “the consumer in northern Europe” consumes a lot of red fruits and, as such, in Portugal, extensive production presupposes “water depletion, soil destruction”, using agrochemicals.

The sociologist warns that the Alentejo is not a unique case in Portugal, besides Alentejo and Portugal, other countries are experiencing the same issues. According to the researcher, the “problem” should “be looked at differently”, as well as warning of the urgent change in the current “model of economic organization”, claiming that if the economic model is kept, the environmental crisis will not end.

Fátima Alves also addresses population growth as a problem, as it forces more resources to be consumed. The sociologist says that despite the need for food, “less impactful and more sustainable” forms of production should be sought.

According to the researcher, Portugal needs to organize itself to respect “more the relationship with the environment”. To Lusa, Fátima Alves exemplifies that, in Portugal, during requalification works, trees and green spaces are sacrificed. The elimination of green spaces causes heating of the air, therefore the city’s spaces will feel hotter, in heat waves for example, as the sociologist advances.

The specialist from the Centre for Functional Ecology at the University of Coimbra also considered that climate change will spread everywhere, not just reaching certain places.