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 >
WHY SO MANY HURRICANES???
I think that all of the recent hurricanes have been caused by the slight rise in temperature. Warm air has a lower pressure than cold air. Hurricanes are caused by a large low pressure spot in the air. Because air is getting slightly warmer, that causes more low pressure spots, which is prime conditions for the start of a hurricane. So, our carbon footprint, makes a slight change in the global temperature. Then this causes low pressure spots in the air, which causes hurricanes. So we need to reduce our carbon footprint, and that might help reduce all of the natural disasters.
I don't think reducing our carbon footprint would make a big enough difference, but I think it's a good start.
I agree! My class and I calculated our carbon footprint and that was the first time I realized how much carbon I am putting into the world. And I didn't even have the highest footprint in my class. Our carbon footprint isn't the only thing contributing to the rise in temperature but it definitely plays a role. I think if we all were just a little more conscious of our footprint it would be a start.
Yes! I agree I think that reducing our carbon footprint could help the environment if enough people do it. I also think by trying to reduce the amount of carbon let into the earth by factories and gasoline and other ways, could really impact the earth in a good way. I think if we start on a small scale and gradually get bigger helping the earth we could really fix the carbon dioxide problem on our earth.