A report in the current issue of Scientific American confirms the link between the extreme weather events, we have been witnessing throughout the country, and climate change. Previously, links have been projected from the use of computer models. But now, observation of real world patterns are showing global warming's "signature" in the increased frequency, intensity and duration of these extreme weather events.
Climate change is about risk assessment, and as the head of Geo Risk Research at the global reinsurance corporation, Munich Re, states, "It's as if the weather machine had changed up a gear." No longer is climate change just about remote Pacific islands, polar bears, and future generations. The evidence is showing it is about Joplin, Missouri and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It is about massive drought and wildfires in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, California and Florida. It is about record floods in North Dakota, Iowa, and Tennessee.
It is far past time that congress address climate change by assigning some kind of significant price to carbon emissions - as well as other greenhouse gas emissions.
For further information:
Storm Warnings: Extreme Weather Is a Product of Climate Change
Extreme Weather and Climate Change: Understanding the Link, Managing the Risk
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ALREADY OCCURING ACROSS THE NATION - U.S. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
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Comments: 13
Scientists, and other informed folks, need to get the facts out there to the public.
Yes and just why was it that the builders didn't build any cellars in those homes is beyond me as that is a cheap fix for the tornados. Flooding on the other hand is always a bit more than buying a home on high ground; however that is always something that I think of and also getting flood insurance. Also important is knowing if a piece of property is in a flood plain or not.
Of course, that's true. That's why I wonder how it would be possible to gauge "more important".
"Yes and just why was it that the builders didn't build any cellars in those homes... knowing if a piece of property is in a flood plain or not."
I don't live in a flood plain, but that's no protection for some of the floods that have been happening throughout the country. Many people didn't have flood insurance in Nashville and Cedar Rapids (btw, I do), because they were told they didin't need any.
Basements aren't built in this section of the country because they tend to flood easily, due to the water table.
But I think you're missing the point - or at least dodging it. The evidence is that extreme weather is being caused by warming. Basements and flood insurance, as recommended as they are, are no solution for climate change. The only solution is to shift our economy to a sustainable, clean energy source. As Larry suggests above, it solves a multitude of problems, as well.
But not so fast!
NOAA’s CSI explains record snows: global warming not involved
"Pitt-Led Researchers Report 6,000-Year Climate Record Suggests Longer Droughts, Drier Wet Periods for Pacific Northwest"
A 135-Year Rainfall History of India: 1871-2005
The Tornado – Pacific Decadal Oscillation Connection
From Scientific American article, linked above:
"Big rain events and higher overnight lows are two things we would expect with [a] warming world," says Deke Arndt, chief of the center's Climate Monitoring Branch. Arndt's group had already documented a stunning rise in overnight low temperatures across the U.S. So are the floods and spate of other recent extreme events also examples of predictions turned into cold, hard reality?
Increasingly, the answer is yes. Scientists used to say, cautiously, that extreme weather events were "consistent" with the predictions of climate change. No more. "Now we can make the statement that particular events would not have happened the same way without global warming," says Kevin Trenberth, head of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo.
That's a profound change—the difference between predicting something and actually seeing it happen. The reason is simple: The signal of climate change is emerging from the "noise"—the huge amount of natural variability in weather.