Deadly Heatwaves (ie.2003) may threaten even Europe's fresh Water-systems: Climat RST is Vital reveals Rhine Environment-Science

Looking up to the Sky from "Church's Home" at nearby Herrenalb, a fresh Mountain resort blessed by Nature, and cross fingers while counting manifold repercusions of Heatwaves even to Europe's biggest Water-systems, as upper Rhine's river and underground phreatic layers, is not enough :

Unpredictable Climat Changes, like 2003 Deadly Heatwave, make it vital to urgently boost European Meteo research and services to protect People, Nature and Economy, said to "SeNas" Dr. Gerhard Schaefer, Director of Strasbourg's Franco-German Institute on Environment.

It's only a tip of an iceberg to observe that Unprecedented in known History 2003 Summer Heatwave killed some 15.000 Human beings in France, added to those dead or wounded also in southern Germany, northern Italy, Switzerland, Spain, etc., and adversely affected Health and/or social activities of Millions of more people :

In fact, going far beyong Health and Social damages, it also threatened Europe's Economy and Independence in Energy, by hampering Electricity-producing Nuclear Reactors and Waterfalls ; diminished almost -40% Rhine and Danube River transports, at the moment that they were starting to flourish ; delayed thoughts to relaunch Rhone - Rhine rivers' channel which could link Meditennean to North, Baltic and Black Seas, while crossing through Europe's industrial core, from 2005 ; and it might even endanger Drinking Water : By affecting crops' development, it hindered the absorption of Nitrogen used by Agriculture, which was "trapped" at the soil, risking to drip into one of the most valuable underground Water reserves of Europe, observed Dr. Schaefer : Upper Rhine Phrear has a huge Volume of water in stock. But its Quality must be protected. And even its quantity might be affected in future if more of such heatwaves provoked drought.

"Scientific and Social stakes of Enviroment", in the example of Rhine area, is the focus of Interdisciplinary Summer Studies organized by 7 Swiss, French and German Universities of upper Rhine (EUCOR) this week : 2004 concrete examples to study on the spot focus on Water systems and integrated Biotopes forming a cross-borders' "region-bow" (as "rainbow" : "RegionsBogen"), cutting also through Industrial or even Urban sites.

Strasbourg currently stands at the middle of an emerging pole on Earth Science, spreading from Worldwide Earthquake monitoring to Geology, Environment and Agriculture research, European Space Operation Center (including Satellite Navigation "GALILEO" system, Remote Sensor Imaging (as in March-Explorer 2003/2004 new operation, etc.), in close cooperation with Biology and Human Health-related research, (s. "SeNas"'s links), while EU and ESA plan to develop their "Global Monitoring for Environment and safety" Space-projects in 2004-2005, (GMES).

Otherwise, EU Citizens don't have but one choice, in case of new threats by killer-Heatwaves : abandon cities and run to find Heatwave-Shelters (as it was done once for Nuclear-shelters) offered by Nature..

Ideally located at fresh Black-Forest Mountain, amidst Water springs, sources, rivers, and Forests, Bad-Herrenalb obviously is a beautiful place to stay, but it's difficult to share this rare privilege of the village's 7.500 inhabitants with 450 millions of Enlarged EU's People ! Unless its "Saint-Bernhard" spirit succeeds to stimulate the creation of usefull Ideas urgently expected by European Citizens in the middle of Summer's growing Heat..

(From "Saint-Bernhard" Church :  - "Humans are not a product of Environment. Environment is produced by Humans").