The weather has been harsh in Aysén these days. Despite reports, announcements, and warnings, nature has once again challenged those who live in cities and towns, as well as those of us who live in rural areas. Winds disguised as tornadoes, curtain-like rains full of moisture, and unusual spring snow (much to the delight of untimely thunderstorms) were part of the menu in these first days of October, when we thought winter was behind us.

 

Nothing we haven't seen before, of course. The saying that those who rush in Patagonia waste their time became reality once again, with roadblocks everywhere: fallen trees, swollen rivers and estuaries, rockslides, and avalanches flooded everyday life. At times, here at home (near the General Carrera outflow), the road to Chile Chico, Cochrane, and Puerto Tranquilo was cut off. “The world has been cut off,” my father would have said, who, when our phone was cut off, encouraged us by exclaiming that, in reality, it was the others, on the other side, who had been cut off... from us.

 

But we must not romanticize, no matter how knowledgeable some people consider themselves to be. The interruption of roads, electricity, or communications complicates the lives of people and animals. And in some cases, it puts them at risk. Modernity (jobs, supplies, food, livestock, horticulture, health) requires these services, even though 40 or 50 years ago they were not essential. Those were different times. And different needs. Although, perhaps, not so different.

 

Because every year it has rained more or less heavily in Aysén, which is why green is the predominant color (not forgetting the white of the glaciers either). So, if this is so common (and in certain sectors commonplace), why did it cause so much damage this week? After all, if there is one thing in Patagonia, it is water.

One way to address this, besides complaining about a short-sighted government, is to look at anthropogenic climate change. The kind that, when applied to our way of life, we call a climate crisis. Because it is not nature that is in trouble.

 

The fact that it snows and rains relentlessly when it shouldn't is part of the problem. Thawed soil is less resistant (there's a reason why summer soils are spongy) and more susceptible to landslides and collapses. A similar problem occurs with unusual water flows, as well as extreme cold and heat in seasons not accustomed to it.

 

It is not just the global rise in temperature that affects us. It is the climate disorder. The one that devastated a friend's vegetable garden as a result of the mudslide that came down the hill in recent days.

 

To truly prevent this (once the emergency is over), it is only fair to also reflect on sovereignty. Not just that of the flag and the coat of arms. I am talking about those that allow us access to the fundamental elements of life: food, energy, water. In this regard, we must create the conditions for self-production and self-generation, so that when the road is cut off or a pole falls on the power line hundreds of kilometers away, we are not left without food or energy.