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 >
extreme weather and financial burden
When one thinks of climate change, one thinks of our planet getting warmer, so then why are snow storms and hurricanes getting more severe? It’s true, most natural disasters, including wildfires and storms, have been getting worse along with the rise of climate change. In addition to the planet getting warmer, it’s also getting wetter. This is because warm air has the ability to hold more moisture than cooler air. The atmosphere holding more water is one of the main factors that cause harsher hurricanes and storms. Hurricanes are also becoming more and more dangerous because of the rising oceans. When land ice melts, it causes the oceans to rise. This means when there is a storm or hurricane, it is imperative that it’s mild. The water has no place to go if the oceans are full, causing severe flooding. Along with the ever-rising climate concerns, comes a financial burden for the government and individuals. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that climate change-caused weather disasters have caused 355 weather disasters since 1980. These disasters have resulted in over 2.54 trillion dollars worth of damages.If the mass destruction of our planet isn’t enough motivation to make major changes, the financial impact should be.
Sources: https://www.c2es.org/content/extreme-we … te-change/
https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/conten … d%20floods.
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billio … 20trillion.