By Arjun

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5 major events that have occurred as a result of human induced climate change

-Queensland flood

-Joplin Missouri tornado

-Hurricane sandy

-Australia Wildfires

-North America Polar vortex

Queensland flood (2010-2011)

70 towns and 67 suburbs were effected.

Many crops were ruined a long with thousands of damaged buildings. Vast amount of mud and debris all over the city. The estimated cost of cleanup was approximately 5.6 billion Australian dollars. This translates to roughly 1409889886020 baht.

 

Climate change causes floods because of the evaporation of the ocean. The hotter it gets due to human induced climate change, the more water will be evaporated. Due to the fact that rain is proportionate to the amount of water evaporated, more water evaporated means more rain; thus leading to floods.

Joplin Missouri tornado (2011)

This tornado destroyed many homes. Steel reinforced concrete porches and driveways were lifted and tossed. It was a disaster, many objects, like cars were thrown at houses. Even a bank was completely destroyed. The tornado traveled. At its peak the tornado was miles wide moving at a speed of 200 miles per hour. It was on the ground for 22 miles and was ongoing for about 38 minutes. Approximately 7000 homes were destroyed. 

What does this have to do with climate change?Because tornados are caused by a clash of climates. When climate change is induced, two sides experience either extreme cooling or extreme warming. Even if the tornado were to be inevitable, the change in temperature makes the tornado much worse.

Most effected

Least effected

Tornado Path and damage

Hurricane Sandy (2012)

A very severe hurricane that swept across many countries, killing many people and rearranging the scenery. Millions were severely negatively effected through hurricane Sandy’s movement. In solely the United States, 200,000 houses were completely destroyed. Costs were about 19 billion in New York City alone. The united states estimate about 50 billion dollars worth of repair in their country. The peak wind was 100 miles per hour and the size was estimated to be 1000 mile diameter. 

Hurricanes harvest power from warm water. Climate change has been highly prevalent in making the ocean water warmer, with such, when hurricanes are formed in the ocean and they continuously pick up speed over the ocean. The warm water that was induced via climate change, will make the hurricane large and much more devastating.

Australia Wildfire (2013)

more than 250 wildfires were caused in the state of victoria alone. A huge heatwave reached Australia where many forests and homes were burned down. This is the hottest temperature that Australia had ever experienced. Historic monuments were also destroyed. Citizens were forced to do all that is necessary, to prevent a fire being caused in their home.

Climate change does the following on fire seasons:Creates drier conditions, allows longer fire season and an increase in lightning frequency. The fire season lasts longer because the heat has been increased, with such increased heat, the city will remain hot for longer as it will take a while to revert back to normal. The drier conditions encourage more fuel to spread flames around the country. And lightning is the most devastating cause as it continuously strikes the country and causes fires. This is because increase in temperature increases the frequency of lightning during a storm.

North America Polar Vortex (2014)

The entire north America was hit with a polar vortex. The cold killed many crops and caused multiple cases of hypothermia. Although it may be less devastating than many other natural disasters, it is a direct example of the effect of climate change. Because of such a change, predictions can be made about the future effects. As we see the drastic change, maybe it could lead way to the ice age.

Polar vortex

Time line of our Probable future at this

rate

2020:

a category 3 hurricane stronger than sandy will hit new york. It seems that by looking at the trend that occurs with the hurricanes of NewYork that the next that will hit will be quite devastating. An approximate average of 3 hurricanes hit NewYork every decade. Additionally, the devastation levels seems to be continuously rising. Scientists speculate that this seems to be because of climate change, thus, at the rate that earth is heading, a hurricane stronger than Sandy should hit within this decade or the first half of the next, with a few being category 1 or 2 in between.

The spread of environment negativity to uncontaminated waters. With the polar icecaps melting to where they are, ships from China are beginning to use that route to get to Europe. Whilst this increases shipment speed and the economy of countries, this opens up new possibilities for corporates to contaminate the waters with what is happening in our current oceans. The possibilities are endless. Corporates may fine new material to harvest there, overfishing may begin, pollutants spreading across and area of our ocean which was virtually untouched not too long ago. This wouldn’t have happened without the un-natural rise of temperature due to pollution.

Later 2020

2025

Many heat waves in multiple different areas. Particularly the Colorado, Kansas and Missouri area of the United States as well as the majority of Australia. Although there are many other places that strong heatwaves will hit in the future and many times where they will hit, the most likely to places that can be concluded on at the moment are these 2. The temperature during summer for these areas are rising drastically. Meanwhile, because of these heatwaves being caused by human-induced climate change, wild fires spread across many different countries.2026

Furthermore, while heatwaves are happening, droughts are also happening simultaneously. Heatwaves which will cause multiple fires due to the dry weather, will not be put out by the rain. Even more so, droughts will make the land much drier, thus amplifying the how devastating the heat waves will be and making fires spread even faster. We can see that around California in the present day, drought is hitting. The countries water access is lost. California may be the only state under severe drought in the United States, but its only a taste of what could happen if we continue through this route.

2030

Our own city, Bangkoks, number 1 threat is a storm surge. A storm surge is the occurrence of an abnormal rise of sea levels due to tropical storms and/or hurricanes over the ocean. When this happens, floods hit everywhere. According to a newspaper post from 2012, Bangkok is within the top 8 cities to experience a storm surge. With such, it could happen at any moment in time. However, with human induced climate change, the chances of storms and weather havocs being formed which could cause a storm surge; is ever increasing. By 2030, major floods due to storm surge is almost inevitable.

2035

Many instances of destruction of coral reefs. The destruction of coral reefs will occur in multiple ways, the first way is due to ocean acidity. Humans excessively use fossil fuels which release CO2, not only does the CO2 effect the ozone layer, but the ocean water tends to absorb the carbon dioxide. With such, the abnormal levels of that specific element, the acidity also rises proportionately to an abnormal level. The sea life, including coral, is not use to that, thus it will cause destruction. This can also happen by the harvesting of oil. Deep sea mining will require the illegal or legal destruction of coral reefs. After the oil is harvested and used, the acidity will once again rise!

2040

Abnormal migration. With floods hitting many countries for countless reasons, needless to say that its core is human induced, people living in flooded zones will be forced to migrate. This reduces the amount of usable land and creates dense population in multiple countries and cities throughout. For example, a country which already has a population rising to levels that are abnormal, India. Due to the fact that Bangladesh is facing many floods, the area is no longer easily habitable. The Bangladesh people migrate to India, creating an even more abnormally large population. This is a current issue already, time will tell us that this issue will be spread like and epidemic.  

2045

Economy and many countries will reduce drastically. The first problem effecting economy will be tourism, many countries that rely on beaches as a prime source of tourism, for example the south of Thailand, Hawaii, many islands, they will all stop being visited as they will begin being considered danger zones. To make matters worse with economy, agriculture will experience problems. With excessive raining or abnormal changes in weather, crops wont grow as pleased. Even more so, erosion will spread far and cause problems with vegetation growth and coastlines.  

2048 Temperatures will drop abnormally during winter. Winter will become a very devastating season as the cold will be even worse. Polar vortexes make the cities colder than ever. The trend is going this way where hot weather is burning and cold weather is freezing. And the effects are ever growing. According to the Milkanovich cycle, we should already be in the iceage period. Which means that though we are not currently in the iceage due to unnatural climate change, when this is to occur, it will do so severely. The natural iceage will inevitably occur, but when we combine it with human induced climate change, the cooling will be more devastating than otherwise. 

2050

The Final issue will be that of disease. Different climates invoke different diseases. As it seems, the prime disaster will be flooding and that allows the multiplication of specific bacteria to increase. More mosquito larva will be the creation of more diseased mosquitoes. This encourages dengue and malaria. Other diseases like pneumonia and hypothermia will be caused in the bodies inability to have resilience against unexpected climate. 

Preferable Future

What events SHOULD we have from now until 2050 that will have a positive effect on climate change?

Selling back to the grid

The concept of ‘selling back to the grid’ becomes a worldwide occurrence. Selling back to the grid is a concept whereby electricity not used can be sold back to the providing company. By implicating this function in electricity use, citizens will have incentive to save electricity. They are actually gaining the money. At this current day and time, this concept is new and so isn’t implicated in too many places, however, by 2020 it would be highly preferable to do so as more people will begin saving electricity. Less fossil fuels will be burned as entire countries begin saving electricity.

2020

Electric company produces

People use

Electricity saved is sold back to the company

Electricity is sold to the people

Worldwide tree planting

All major MEDC’s begin planting trees regularly and rebuilding forest. This allows more CO2 to be absorbed and reconverted into oxygen. With such, less carbon dioxide will get stuck in the ozone layer thus mitigating the effect of human induced climate change. LEDC’s can also assist this cause, however, the focus of these countries shouldn’t be this quite yet as they have more to worry about. Worldwide tree planting is not referring to something like earth day whereby only once a year we plant trees. The government should put some of their money into it and have it done often until many forests are regrown.

2025

Nuclear energy becomes widespread In spite of the Fukushima disaster, nuclear energy hasn’t given too much negativity to our environment or us. Nuclear energy is one of the cleanest energies in the world as it doesn’t release harmful gases unless there is a major disaster. Since the notorious meltdown of the fukushima nuclear powerplant, the worlds safety with nuclear has significantly improved. There are many built in capabilities to prevent being effected by disasters like earthquakes. If this energy becomes more widespread, it will replace fossil fuels in a major way.

2030

India goes tesla and electric

Transportation in India is a major cause of pollution and climate change. Many vehicles go by everyday releasing harmful gases. If India were to go electric, meaning they start producing cars running of electricity, known as tesla cars. Furthermore start developing so that not only cars run off electricity, but all methods of transport. In this scenario, our effect on climate change will reduce drastically due to less release of harmful pollutants.

2035

Desalination plants

Up to this point, problems such as droughts due to climate change are inevitable, however, its effect can be mitigated. States such as California can begin using water from the ocean. Its quite ironic that water is such a scarce resource where more than 50% of the planet is made up of water. If California were to start using their access to ocean water as a form of purifying instead to make sure dehydration were less of a problem during droughts in order to withstand them. Although this is preferable, it is only preferable as a mitigation method rather than prevention. Although “prevent is better than cure” some disasters are inevitable at this point due to many mistakes in the past. Emory University has invented a method of purifying water by having micro-organisms recycling 400,000 gallons per day. By the year 2040 micro technology will have advanced much further.

2040

What can we do?What actions do we need

to take?

First

The first step is to accept. Everybody including government, corporates and your average citizen needs to accept human induced climate change as a serious issue. If we do not accept the fact that what humans have done has had a negative impact that can hit us right back, we aren’t going to move ahead very fast.

SecondMEDC’s need to use money for the purpose of improving our issues with human induced climate change. These countries must INVEST their money in all the different ideas that were stated about the preferable future. The usage of MEDC’s money needs to be redirected to an urgent cause. Everything requires money, without putting in, we will never get what is needed to save our Earth.

ThirdCalculate your carbon foot print. This may sound strange at first, but calculate the amount of carbon you use in your everyday life. Calculate your used electricity and car fuel. Keep a record and look at it at the end of the month. Every month try to reduce this number by as much as possible. With such, you’ll see your improvement and the improvement will continue until your at a point where you think that you cannot improve anymore. We have technology

That can do these amazing things, we should take advantage of what we have and use it for the good!

ForthCarbon taxes. Governments can begin adding carbon taxes whereby it encourages less use of fossil fuels. Carbon taxes mean that as more carbon is released, the company must pay to the government. When this happen, less companies will try to regulate their amounts of fossil fuels and be encouraged to change to an alternative energy source as there are many. Companies like to keep their money, with the right incentive, they will do whatever they can to protect the environment.

FifthEncourage and use alternative energy. Besides nuclear, there are many other types of production of electricity. It’s one thing to know them, another to encourage them and another to use them. We can use our natural world to produce electricity. We can create dams for hydroelectricity, windmills for wind energy, solar panels for solar energy, cellulose for cellulosic gas and many more. Use them, encourage them on others.

Work cited"Australia Floods of 2010-11." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2015.

"Climate Change Impact on Storms | The Nature Conservancy." Climate Change Impact on Storms | The Nature Conservancy. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. Fredrickson, Teddy. "Storm Surge: Could It Happen Here?" BangkokPost. BangkokPost, Nov. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. "FYI: Could Climate Change Cause More (And Bigger) Tornadoes?" Popular Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. "Lightning Causes Wildfires in Soaring Australian Heat - BBC News." BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. 

Clark, Beverly. "Emory WaterHub Celebrates Grand Opening." Emory.edu. Emory, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

Work cited“Nuclear Energy." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.NWS.NOAA. "What Is Storm Surge?" (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. "Selling Power Back to the Grid." Selling Power Back to the Grid. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. "Storm Surge: Could It Happen Here?" N.p., n.d. Web. The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.Toro, By Ross. "Hurricane Sandy's Impact (Infographic)." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2015. "What Is a Carbon Tax?" Province of British Columbia. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. "Why Does Climate Change Lead to More Floods and Droughts? | Climate Reality." Why Does Climate Change Lead to More Floods and Droughts? | Climate Reality. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.