Climate change is real.

These are only four words but they pack a punch. If that sounds ominous, wait until you realise the harsh truth; climate change is already happening. Despite the delusions of the President of America and his band of climate change-deniers, the world is now facing one of the biggest humanitarian crisis in history. If anyone still has doubts, the events of the last week should be a sobering dose of reality.

Hurricane Harvey hit Texas last weekend, bringing with it one of the largest amounts of rainfall (51.88 inches) the US has ever experienced as a result of a tropical storm. While the initial first-day impact of the hurricane was limited, the rainfall over the next few days has left Houston, Texas devastated. The tropical storm resulted in mass floodings across the city and its surrounding suburbs. The US National Weather Service reported that in some areas, the water levels were 25ft above flood level. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate as flood waters submerged their homes, leaving many without food, money or shelter. As it stands, the death total from Hurricane Harvey is 18, with an estimated 30,000 now displaced and potentially homeless. The aftermath of the storm will be long-lasting; buildings and houses will need to be rebuilt, thousands will require new homes and the economy will take a massive hit as millions of dollars will go towards the relief effort. Similar to New Orleans after the catastrophic Hurricane Katrine, Houston will be forever altered.

While some may argue that the area itself is prone to tropical storms/hurricanes, given its location, it’s important to note that both Hurricane Katrina and Sandy had near identical results for the cities that they hit. All three of these of these storms were categorised as an ‘every 200-year event’ or ‘every 500-year event’ yet they all occurred within the last 12 years. The increase in severe tropical storms is not isolated to North America; while the media’s attention was directed towards Texas, South Asia was experiencing some of the worst floodings in its history. Flooding in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh has killed 1,200 and affected 16 million. The BBC reports that Bangladesh, which has been hit with its fourth flood this year, is now half underwater. Just like evacuees from Houston, families in Bangladesh have been forced to take shelter on any free patches of land until aid reaches them or temporary accommodation is built.

These incidents are only the start of future natural disasters as global temperatures continue to rise. According to temperature statistics overseen by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), the average global temperature has increased by about 0.8 degrees Celsius since 1880. Even more worrying, GISS has revealed that two-thirds of this increase has occurred since 1975 at a rate of 0.15-0.20 degrees Celsius per decade. While scientists are reluctant to outright say that global warming was the cause of Hurricane Harvey, George Monbiot, a columnist for The Guardian, lambasted the public/media for not asking the obvious questions about the storm;

“We know that the severity and impact of hurricanes on coastal cities are exacerbated by at least two factors: higher sea levels, caused primarily by the thermal expansion of seawater; and greater storm intensity, caused by higher sea temperatures and the ability of warm air to hold more water than cold air. We were warned about this. In June, for instance, Robert Kopp, a professor of Earth sciences, predicted: “In the absence of major efforts to reduce emissions and strengthen resilience, the Gulf Coast will take a massive hit. Its exposure to sea-level rise – made worse by potentially stronger hurricanes – poses a major risk to its communities.”

Along with the huge structural and monetary damages, future storms could result in major loss of life. If these storms become more widespread and frequent, countries may not have the capacity to deal with them. As seen with Hurricane Katrina, it is the poorest who will bear the brunt of climate change first. Those without the means to effectively protect their homes or the monetary capital to flee will be the early casualties of climate change. Additionally, one common thread of each natural disaster is displacement. Based on statistics from the UN Refugee Agency, an annual average of 21.5 million people are displaced due to extreme weather-floods, storms, increased temperatures. This figure will only go up if the world continues to ignore the stark reality of global warming. Countries will be filled with ‘climate change refugees’ and their governments will not have the means nor the money to provide the basic necessities to care for these people, creating an economic and societal crisis.

Extreme temperatures and rising sea levels are not a ‘possibiity, they are a reality. If the world stands any chance against future disasters, we all need to limit and minimise the damage that has already been done. We must pressure governments to commit to reduce CO2 emissions and find other sources of renewable energy. The Paris Agreement was a step in the right direction for the world but with the news that President Trump will pull America out and disband with the country’s obligations, it signals that time is running out to stop the impending global catastrophe. Please write to the Irish government, Ministers and TDs. They aren’t taking action, so we have to.

Photo Credit: Texas National Guard Soldiers respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Tim Pruitt)

 

Emily is a journalism graduate from DCU. Her work has appeared in the Irish Independent, Sunday World Online and Hot Press Magazine. She is passionate about equality and a fair society for all citizens.

 

Share This