Fashion never ceases to amaze us, but not even the most creative designers could have imagined the fever of the masks China is using. They are called ‘facekinis’.
They are lightweight, can be worn in water and leave only the mouth, nose and eyes showing.
Although this seems to be just a fashion surge like wearing balaclava, but the reason behind this trend is disturbing.
Soon, the ‘facekinis’ may become a necessary item not only for days at the beach, but in everyday life in large metropolises. Have you ever thought about going on a date dressed like this?
What are facekinis?
As is already widely reported by the World Health Organization, the biggest cause of skin cancer is the incidence of UVR (Ultraviolet radiation), which comes mainly from sunlight.
What explains the use of this new masks China are the lethal heat waves that are becoming more and more frequent because of climate change.
China is one of the countries that has suffered the most from lethal heat waves, one of the main symptoms of global warming.
As recently as July 2023, a province in western China called Xinjiang recorded a historic high temperature: 80°C (176°F). Beijing, the Chinese capital, is already in its 27th day with temperatures above 35°.
Will we use facekinis in the United States? The chances of the China masks spread around the globe
Like China and some countries in Europe, the climate change situation in the U.S is getting worse every day.
In Death Valley, the border between California and Nevada, temperatures reached 53.3°C on July 16, 2023 – according to information from the National Weather Service (NWS).
With the global average temperature increasing every year – reaching 17°C (62.6°F) for the first time in human history in 2023. The all-time high had been in 2016, when the average was 16.92°C (62.45°F).
All things considered, it’s very possible that facekinis will cease to be an uncommon item and become a must-have closet item in most countries, including the U.S..
After all, protection from UVRs will be key to continuing to live our lives and, of course, work. Why is it easier to imagine the end of planet Earth than the machinery of the economy grinding to a halt.
Why do deadly heatwaves happen in climate change?
Deadly heat waves are becoming increasingly common. Around the world it has always been natural for a day to sporadically exceed the historical average heat during the summer.
However, with global warming, this natural phenomenon tends to grow a lot, not only in frequency but in magnitude.
This happens because all natural cycles are corrupted. The rainfall cycle has been altered thanks to the increase in the earth’s temperature and the clearing of forests.
As a result, there are more days without rain, which increases the temperature, often causing wildfires, which raise average temperatures even higher.
The average temperature rise also affects the ice in the Arctic, which usually pulls down global temperatures through winds and oceans.
As temperatures have risen, summers in the Arctic are becoming virtually ice-free, and there is not enough cold to regulate temperatures.
What are lethal heat waves?
The 35°C temperature recorded in Beijing is nothing compared to the average temperature in some countries around the world.
In the summers of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it is perfectly possible to find temperatures higher than that on many days – with an even hotter thermal sensation.
The problem is that lethal heat waves take relative temperature into account.
Our body is adapted to an average temperature throughout our life and the shock of this sudden increase can cause irreparable trauma to the human organism.
Often, deadly heat waves are responsible for hundreds of deaths, especially among the elderly group.
As you can see, facekinis are the least of our problems right now. That is why we need to take urgent action, hold governments accountable and support good initiatives that seek climate justice.
The time to act is now.
