Preparing for Future Disasters
II. Climate Changes
There is sufficient evidence to predict that this country has entered into a multi-year cycle of intensely destructive storms. See the Colorado State University website for more scientific information and predictions (http://hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu/ ). Academic meteorologists are debating whether the cause of this climate cycle is due to global warming or other causes. Whatever the causes, the predictions alert us to the destructive storms that we must prepare for.
"Is Katrina a Harbinger of Still More Powerful Hurricanes?", Kerr, RA. Sep. 16, 2005, Science, Page 1807.
This one-page summary of scientific articles weighs the evidence for global warming as a cause for tropical cyclone (hurricane) intensification
"Changes in Tropical Cyclone Number, Duration, and Intensity in a Warming Environment" , Webster, PJ, Holland, GJ, Curry, JA, & Chang, HR. Sep 16, 2005, Science, Page 1844.
This research examined the number of tropical cyclones and cyclone days as well as tropical cyclone intensity over the past 35 years in an environment of increasing sea surface temperature. A large increase was seen in the number and proportion of hurricanes reaching categories 4 and 5. The largest increase occurred in the North Pacific, Indian and Southwest Pacific oceans, and the smallest percentage increase occurred in the North Atlantic Ocean. These increases have taken place while the number of cyclones, and cyclone days has decreased in all basins except the North Atlantic during the past decade.
"Climate Change and Human Health" , P. R. Epstein. Oct. 6, 2005, The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol.(14) 353:1433-1436
This article describes the massive and ongoing changes in our climate and the repercussions projected by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Ocean warming and Arctic thawing is spawning severe winter storms and hazardous travel conditions. Changes in biodiversity are contributing to resurgence of infectious diseases, such as Lyme disease. The emergence of the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and West Nile virus were caused in part by climate instability. During the past two decades, the incidence of asthma in the United States has quadrupled in part due to climatic factors. Increased levels of plant pollen and soil fungi may be due also to climate changes. Major coastal storms can trigger harmful algal blooms ("red tides"). Prolonged droughts can weaken trees, which leads to forest fires. Threat to human health also comes from illnesses affecting wildlife, livestock, crops, forests and marine organisms.
