Cyclones, drought and 500-year floods

Hot Topic: Mother nature. Climate studies and massive storms combined to deliver a one-two punch this week, exposing our vulnerability to extreme weather in the face of climate change. In Michigan, an epic ‘500-year’ flood inundated multiple towns and threatened to flood the aging Dow chemical complex, which could have erased more than a decade of toxic cleanup downriver. And in India and Bangladesh, Cyclone Amphan forced nearly 3 million people to evacuate to crowded emergency shelters in communities already battling the spread of COVID-19.

Science continues to show that such storms are no anomaly. Researchers have predicted an “extremely active hurricane season” in the Atlantic region this year. A NOAA study projects that hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones will build in intensity by eight percent per decade due to warming sea surface temperatures. And findings presented in the journal Nature Climate Changes how that intense heatwaves, drought and ‘dust bowl’ events are on track to more than double in frequency in the years ahead.

From studies to storms, all evidence points to the fact that we need to drastically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels while simultaneously investing in climate-resilient infrastructure. Thankfully, there is some good news to be found on this front. The European Union has promised to make climate change the centerpiece of its post-pandemic development plans. Forty-two faith organizations from 14 countries committed this week to divest from fossil fuels. And Canada will require its largest companies to align with national climate goals to qualify for COVID-19 economic recovery aid. Decisions like these, if embraced globally, have the potential to secure a cleaner, safer and healthier future for all of us.

—Matt & Traci, GMMB