Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Link Between Extreme Weather and Climate Change

This video, while not specifically about the US, explains the connection between climate change and extreme weather. The video explains how the sea, air, and climate are related and how a change in one alters the patterns of another.

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Floods

Another common weather occurrence in the United States is flooding. This, once again, is caused in part by increasing global temperatures. Warmer air can hold more moisture, so the increasing temperatures will lead to increased precipitation over the coming years. The increasing temperatures will also lead to snow and river ice melting sooner, as well as changes in snowfall patterns. In the long run, these factors will increase the amount of flooding we see.

The flooding damages ecosystems and alters the balance of species within those ecosystems.  Many resources are affected, leading to shortages in supplies for animals, plants, and humans. As with other global warming related issues, the solution lies within changing human habits in regards to the environment.

Source/More Information: Global Warming and Floods


Thursday, May 22, 2014

Heat Waves

As we enter the summer months, I figured it would be a good time to discuss the effects of climate change on overall temperature and heat waves.

The increasing temperatures will result in (obviously) hotter summers. This is reflected by the trend of earlier heat waves as well as more extreme heat. Many more days with temperatures that top 90 degrees are in the forecast, which is not something anyone really wants to hear. As it stands, many US cities suffer in the summer, but not only from the hot weather. The heat ends up affecting health, agriculture, and wildlife. As far as health is concerned, the heat leads to worsening air pollution. This is detrimental to many vulnerable groups, including those with asthma or other pulmonary problems and heart disease. The heat in general causes increased occurrence of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The elderly, young children, and low-income individuals are often the hardest hit by heat illness. For agriculture, the heat leads to more transpiration and can dry plants. Heat waves are most often accompanied by droughts, which can damage crops and reduce food supplies. This, in turn, affects the economy of the country. Wildlife suffers in the heat right along with humans. The habitats can be destroyed by the heat, an event that often leads to reduction in population sizes. Food supplies, shelter, and other resources become scarce in the affected area and the environment is no longer able to support the population. Many animals can also succumb to heat illness. Both of these factors lead to an effect on the ecosystems.

Heat waves, like many other weather systems, can be reduced when proper environmental protection measures are taken. I will post in the future on practical ways that anyone can reduce their impact on the environment and help it stabilize and recover, thus reducing the severity and frequency of extreme weather.

Source/More information: Global Warming and Heat Waves

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Climate Change and Wildfires

Climate Change and Wildfires

This is a video that is a follow-up to my previous post. This video addresses many topics that I noted in my summary, but shows the actual aftermath of the wildfires.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Wildfires

With the current fire situation all across the western half of the United States, I decided to start with this topic.

The increased frequency and intensity of wildfires directly correlates to climate change. This link is formed by several different factors. One factor is the lengthening fire season. As global temperatures rise, spring run-off from snow melt occur earlier, the heat of summer arrives sooner, and the warm weather sticks around later into the fall. The run-off helps keep plants from drying out, but the current timing for snow-melt leads to drier plants earlier in the season. Another factor is increasing temperatures. Rising temperatures result in a higher rate of evaporation, which dries out plants and produces more fuel for potential fires. At the same time, the drier and warmer conditions are conducive to insect infestations, which kill plants. As a consequence, large patches of trees, shrubs, and grasses are left dead and dry, tinder waiting for a spark. Speaking of a spark, the drier weather combined with rising temperatures will result in more thunderstorms that produce significant lightning. With the increased frequency of lightning comes an increased frequency of fires. Lightning is a common cause of wildfires and the fires are often fast-spreading and difficult to contain.

What is the effect on wildlife? Well, the species that occupy the habitat that is burned often are displaced or killed by the fire. As a result of the shift in species, the balance within the local ecosystem is changed.

While many of the causes of wildfires are natural and out of human hands, there are things everyone can do to help prevent wildfires. The most important solution is to change habits and work for reducing the carbon footprint. This would lead to a slowing of global warming and, in turn, a reduction in the rate of new fires per season. Everyone can help slow the rate of climate change in many different fragile ecosystems by reducing their carbon footprint and working for a more sustainable life. At a practical level, learning about fire safety and how to prevent wildfires from starting due to human activity will result in fewer fires, even if the amount of fires by natural causes is not reduced.


Source/More information: Global Warming and Wildfires

Friday, May 16, 2014

Introduction Video on the State of Severe Weather in the US

More Severe Weather in the US

Welcome!

Thank you for viewing my blog! This is a project I made for my AP Biology class on an ecology issue. As an amateur meteorologist, I found the link between climate change and the increasing severe weather here in the United States a fascinating topic, so I decided to research it and post my findings and interesting things I discover along the way. I will post short summaries of articles, videos, news stories, and other resources about the increasing severe weather here in the US. I will also post possible solutions that anyone could start with. I don't want to depress anyone, but people need to know what is going on in the world around them and how this will affect the country for years to come.