
In the Northern Hemisphere in 2017 and 2018 brought several destructive hurricanes to the shores of North America, the Caribbean, and throughout the Pacific rim. Such extreme weather events are predicted to get more common and more severe with increasing climate change.
Several participating classes in the ISCFC were or are in the path of these storms and we hope for the best for them, their families and communities.
We would love to hear from students affected directly and indirectly by extreme weather events, and also any students who have been following the news this summer.
What are your thoughts about the connection between climate change and extreme weather events? Has this hurricane season increased your concern about climate change or not? Do you think that US citizens and residents (and others in the region) will take climate change more seriously now?
Extreme Weather
Recent posts:

Is the sharp increase in temperature to blame for extreme weather or is simply that there is an increase in temperature that causes the weather.

The sharp increase in temperature is causing irreparable damage that in a few years will trigger major problems.

The sharp increase in temperature isn't the only thing to blame for our extreme weather, we need to think of who is warming our plant. We as humans burn too many fossil fuels which in result is releasing tremendous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and yet we think "oh the plants can absorb it and release oxygen back out to us." But the reality is that the plants can if we weren't cutting them all down, about each second an acre of forest is cleared away due to deforestation to raise cattle. And our oceans can absorb carbon dioxide but the sea waters are now getting to a point where they are so acidic that they can dissolve shells. So we can't just be putting all the blame of extreme weather on increasing temperature if we are the ones causing it.

The sharp increase in temperature may be the cause of our extreme weather, but we are still responsible. Deforestation, burning and mining for fossil fuels and other human activity release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon traps heat in the atmosphere which causes it to warm up.

Global warming is causing rising sea levels, extreme weather, and loss of biodiversity.

i’ve noticed recently that the weather where i live is changing at a rapid rate due to climate change. i think this is really noticeable because it has been flooding when it rains and the summers have been longer with more frequent heat waves and hotter weather. vancouver’s changing climate has also meant that it’s been snowing later and later every year as global warming has gotten worse. these weather effects have really put in perspective how serious climate change is and how badly it can affect the earths environment.

Yeah, in my town (actually, inmy country) I have noticed that summers last much longer than it's expected. Also, the winters are getting warmer and last shorter than previous years. I think that's the result of so much personal cars, because in every family there is at least 1 car per parent. Big amount of clothes (because we are living in consumers society) is also a problem because of a fast fashion. Those are just 2 carbon- problems, but I belive there are many more problems and causes.

I completely agree with you. It’s really scary how quickly the climate is changing, even in places like Vancouver that used to have more predictable weather. Flooding and longer, hotter summers are becoming more common in many parts of the world. Where I live, we’ve also noticed strange weather patterns—like sudden storms and very mild winters.

I have noticed the same big swings in weather where I live. Summers weather has been lasting much longer than it should, and we have extremely warm heat waves during October when it's supposed to be fall and cooling down. I agree with the fact that weather is a very clear indicator of climate change. It's so easy to see the effects our actions have on the climate and global temperatures. I also think it's crazy that there are people who see this extreme shift in weather and still deny climate change and how our actions impact the environment.

I have also noticed increased temperatures throughout more of the year in my hometown, as well as worsening disasters that cause more and more damage every year.

I’ve noticed that extreme weather is happening more often like heatwaves, heavy rain, and sudden storms. These changes are clear signs of climate change, and they’re starting to affect our daily lives.
It’s a reminder that we need to take action and be more aware of how we treat the planet.

I agree that those signs are really important when pointing towards the effects of climate change. Some people cannot or have not yet seen the real effects of climate cahnge so they don't take action because they think it doesnt affect them. These signs are happening all over the world and it's really important to raise awarness and share them so everyone can take action against climate change.

I agree. Extreme weather like heatwaves, floods, and storms are happening more often, and that’s not just a coincidence. Climate change is making the Earth warmer, which affects how weather works. Warmer temperatures cause more water to evaporate, which leads to more rain and stronger storms. It also makes droughts and wildfires worse in some places.

I noticed that climate change is becoming a big problem, because of increasing temperatures. last summer it was hot with very high temperatures in my hometown. some days there were strong floods, creating landslides not far from where i live because of the very high temperatures and some plants in my garden dried up.

I have also noticed increased temperatures throughout more of the year in my hometown, as well as worsening disasters that cause more and more damage every year.

I think this is visible where I live as well. I feel like being able to really see the effects of climate change where you live can be really impactful, and hopefully will drive people to taking stronger action against the climate crisis. Increasing average summer temperatures, more severe and frequent wildfires, and more atmospheric rivers are all effects we are experiencing in Vancouver. It can be concerning, but I hope it will help people to see how urgent this crisis really is.

I have also noticed these extreme temperatures where I live as well. I think that being able to realize the actions climate change as done to your city or town is really impactful. And as a community I hope for people to take more impactful actions against this climate disaster. And in my city Vancouver there has been increasing temperature in winter and summer and more occurring forest fires. Lastly I pray that people are gonna take action from these climate crisis.

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I completely agree with all of you, climate change is becoming more noticeable and dangerous every year. I have also seen the effects in my area, especially with hotter summers and heavier rainfall that sometimes causes flooding. In addition to extreme temperatures, I think it's important to mention how these changes also affect agriculture and food production. Crops are more likely to fail due to drought or unexpected weather events, which can lead to higher food prices and shortages. It's clear that we need to raise awareness and take stronger action to protect our environment and future.

I think the fires in Los Angeles are a very good example of the traumatic effect of bad weather due to how, even though the time of year meant there should have been rain, the fires were able to advance without restraint. We need to figure out a way to combat this, like raising money and awareness to stop people from blatantly ignoring the dreadful future in store for them.


I've also noticed global temperatures increasing. The Chasing Ice documentary showed me how much the ice caps are melting. This is the best example of global temperature increase because the visual of icecaps melting and falling away felt very real. That is in contrast to the graphs I've seen that show the temperature rise but don't show its effects.

Recently, we have experienced hurricanes back-to-back that left impactful damages to our homes and cities. While this is an annual event that happens quite often in Florida, it is important to note the changes in the behaviors and effects within these newer hurricanes. The article https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/ … ngNewsSerp, talks about the impacts of Milton on the health of those who were affected by it. Milton was noted to reach record winds that reached up to 180 mph. It is also noted to be the first hurricane to reach up to category 6. My question is, does our changing environment and growing pollution on Earth contribute to these extreme weather cases? If so, what is casuing them and how can we reduce the impact?

I think the human have a very small contribution in the training of hurricane. This meteorological phenomene are very frequent in the mexico gulf . But , our footprint impact on earth have a lot of consequences like the melting of the ice ...

I agree with you, not only are hurricanes getting more frequent, but they are getting stronger. With the global warming the ocean is getting warmer. The studies have shown that oceans are getting little warmer each few hundreds years. That effects the strength of hurricane because hurricanes are getting energy from warm ocean water. The stronger hurricanes are one of the side effects of global warming, but I think there are more serious issues.

Some people do not believe that their behavior partially affects climate change. Everyone is responsible for it. We must understand that we leave a carbon footprint behind us which causes extreme weather. With our behavior we can reduce our carbon footprint or neutralize it. We have to start in our own homes to prevent the occurrence of extreme weather.

I think that both of them are connected because of the pollution of our atmosphere and environment, this destroys glaciers, and other natural barriers against hurricanes or natural events that destroy environments. I also think that weather patterns are diverted and messed up due to climate change. I think due to climate change hurricanes and tornadoes hit areas that they usually would never, so the area is not prepared for the hurricane or tornado so the environment is impacted badly. This hurricane season has not really concerned me too much cause there's not much that I can do to stop it. No I do not think US citizens will take it seriously due to our severe dependence on carbon and gas and oil and fossil fuels.

I agree with you, climate change truly has a significant impact on weather conditions, which can increasingly be noticed in winter in my country, where temperatures are higher than usual for the season and there is very little snow. I believe it is important for all of us to become aware of our role in protecting and preserving the environment and to start changing our habits in order to reduce the damage and mitigate the effects of climate change, such as melting glaciers, disruption of seasons, heat waves, and so on.

Ice melting is a major problem for our planet.The consequences are serious:sea levels are rising,habitats of animals like polar bears are threatened,and entire ecosystem are changing.We must protect the environment to stop these dangerous changes.

I think that we all know that climate change ties into affecting the severity of weather, and how it has worsened in the past decade. The recent hurricane season has increased my concern for climate change as Hurricane Milton and Helene were within about half a month apart from each other. As well as the above average amount of rainfall during hurricanes. This was caused by the extra CO2 released that is warming the atmosphere indirectly causing excessive rainfall and ultimately devastating flooding.

There are many effects like hotter temperatures, higher health risks, global warming, increase of droughts, and more severe storms. Because of higher temperatures some areas have experienced hot days and heat waves as well, which makes it hard to move and work. Another one is higher health risks. Diseases can spread due to the changes of weather, and not only that but because of the extreme weather, it can increase the number of deaths. This makes it hard for health care workers to keep up. Global warming is another effect, because our ocean absorbs heat, which causes sheets of ice to melt and endangers marine life due to the carbon dioxide that the ocean absorbs as well. Fourthly, is the increase in droughts. This can is a big threat to our environment because deserts are expanding, which is taking up the amount of space for growing food and plants. Droughts can also transfer tons of sand and dust across continents due to the sandstorms. Because it's so hot and dry, there isn't much water resource which is a big threat to humans. Lastly, more severe storms. Due to the changes in temperature, this has caused many floods and landslides destroying many homes.

We know that extreme and abnormal weather patterns are a result of climate change. But I think it's important for people to know why and how. When CO2 is released into the air, it warms our atmosphere, therefore warming the planet. When our planet heats up, it makes sense that it would cause more droughts, and dryer climate. While it doesn't seem like it, it also causes more rainfall and changes in wind patterns. When the ocean temperature rises, it makes the water able to evaporate easier. This causes water to go into the atmosphere, and eventually turn into rain.

From the article, “Extreme Weather and Climate Change” the impact that the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has on the weather is brought to light. “Human actions since the Industrial Revolution, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, have caused greenhouse gases to rapidly rise in the atmosphere. As carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases increase, they act as a blanket, trapping heat and warming the planet. In response, Earth’s air and ocean temperatures warm. This warming affects the water cycle, shifts weather patterns, and melts land ice — all impacts that can make extreme weather worse.” As a result of these gases being trapped there has been devastating consequences like severe flooding after hurricanes, droughts, wildfires, and more. Becoming aware of this and changing our actions to not put so much gas into the atmosphere could help with the extreme weather.
https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change … e-weather/