After enduring widespread destruction from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, North Americans and residents of the Caribbean now face Hurricane Maria, churning toward the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Just upgraded to a category 5 storm, Maria has become the third major hurricane to threaten the region within the past month.
While much of our focus has centered on evacuation and recovery, the elephant in the room is global warming which may not increase the frequency of hurricanes but will surely augment their intensity. Tropical storms and hurricanes are heat machines, fueled by warm ocean waters and the hot, humid air into which they move. Global warming will increase all three factors as sea temperatures rise and a warming atmosphere retains more water vapor.
Unfortunately, while many industrialists and politicians appreciate the technology that predicts the path and intensity of hurricanes, they reject the science of climate change. Few cities are planning for a warmer climate and politicians continue to fight over funding for infrastructure. The message sent by these powerful storms should resonate across the globe; few if any regions of the planet will be immune to the effects of a warming climate.
While much of our focus has centered on evacuation and recovery, the elephant in the room is global warming which may not increase the frequency of hurricanes but will surely augment their intensity. Tropical storms and hurricanes are heat machines, fueled by warm ocean waters and the hot, humid air into which they move. Global warming will increase all three factors as sea temperatures rise and a warming atmosphere retains more water vapor.
Unfortunately, while many industrialists and politicians appreciate the technology that predicts the path and intensity of hurricanes, they reject the science of climate change. Few cities are planning for a warmer climate and politicians continue to fight over funding for infrastructure. The message sent by these powerful storms should resonate across the globe; few if any regions of the planet will be immune to the effects of a warming climate.
