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When faced with several options, we often weigh the pros and cons of each. That is, we consider what we gain by choosing a certain option versus what we lose by rejecting another. Economists call this the opportunity cost.

Sometimes, this calculation is simple and obvious. But other times, it involves more complex factors—like when short-term benefits contradict long-term consequences or when personal gains come at the expense of others or the environment.

For example, drilling a septic tank to drain it directly into the ground was a common practice in some areas. This saved people the cost of hiring specialized services whenever the tank filled up. But years later, the local well that supplied the community with water became undrinkable, creating problems not just for the individuals who made this choice but for their neighbors as well.

In certain mountain ranges of the Iberian Peninsula, humans have historically coexisted with predators like wolves and bears, which sometimes preyed on livestock. With trained guard dogs and knowledge of mountain life, shepherds were able to keep these animals at bay while maintaining a delicate balance in the ecosystem.

However, with the advent of precision rifles and easy-to-obtain poisons, people decided it was better to eliminate predators entirely for a more peaceful life. Wolves and bears nearly disappeared, leading to an exponential growth of wild boar populations. Once elusive animals living high in the mountains, wild boars have become a plague, destroying crops meant to feed livestock, scavenging through urban garbage, and devouring small animals like baby tortoises and amphibians.

Warnings about the effects of climate change are not new. As early as 1972, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published a scientific report analyzed at a global summit in Sweden. It sounded the alarm that human activities were surpassing our planet’s capacity to cope.

While our geographic and geopolitical situation places us in a modern paradise—summer, beaches, a strong economy, and peace—we are at a disadvantage when it comes to climate change. The Mediterranean is warming at a faster rate than other regions, making us particularly vulnerable to extreme storms. Paying attention to this issue is no longer optional—it is essential.

Allowing construction in flood-prone areas, dissolving commissions that tackle critical environmental issues, or rewarding urban planning violators are not relics of the past. They are actions from the present year.

Someone must have calculated the “opportunity cost” of these decisions: the economic gain from building on rural land, the projects approved through influential connections, or the votes gained through promises of unequal policies.

Deliberately ignoring the consequences of environmental degradation is proving to be a shortsighted and very costly approach.

(This text is an adaptation of the original article published by Miquel Camps, as coordinator of territorial policy for the GOB, in the Menorca newspaper on 11/11/2024).