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 >
WHAT'S UP WITH THE WEATHER?!
Throughout the past year, the weather has been changing immensely. Hurricane season in 2017 will always be remembered. It was labeled one of the most active and destructive hurricane seasons on record. Due to global warming, the chances of hurricanes have increased. This leads me to think about how global warming is also affecting our day to day lives. Last week, it was "snowing" in Oakland, and today the weather is reaching high 80's. Extreme weather like this allows me to second guess how we are treating our earth. The drastic changes in the weather can not be ignored. Global warming is caused by how much carbon dioxide we are releasing into the atmosphere. In order to save the planet, we must acknoledge our carbon footprint and make a change.
I agree with you, in that global warming has seriously changed our weather patterns. Earth's average surface temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit when it would be 0 if carbon dioxide and other such greenhouse gases (like water vapor and methane) did not exist in our atmosphere. Although the greenhouse effect is a naturally-occurring process, humans have recently amplified the natural effect by increasing the concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (primarily through fossil fuel use in the energy and transportation sectors). According to the most recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC’s 4th Assessment Report), there is greater than a 90% chance that human activity is causing the increase in Earth’s global average temperatures observed since the mid-21st century (http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/ClimateCh … ffect.aspx). Not only is our planet heating up but all over the world there are more natural disasters, droughts, floods and much more. It is crazy how our daily lives are affecting the planet, we must see what we are doing and make a change.
Nicole, I completely agree with what you are saying here. The hurricane season on 2017 was devastating, due to dramatic weather change. Also how it was "snowing" in Oakland and now the temperature in the bay area is hitting the 80's is very bizarre.