Four Science Types on What We Learned in 2021 Across the West.

 

2021 was a pivotal year for the climate emergency. The change came in the form of hammer blows that smashed the west - drought, killer heat domes, wildfires, massive flooding. Can we even make sense of this any longer? Does Ottawa really get what's happening so far away from Parliament Hill?  To the feds is it a problem to be managed, modulated, handed over to their successor?



Daniel Swain, climate scientist, UCLA:

The extraordinary and unprecedented is no longer extraordinary or unprecedented because it’s starting to happen so often.

In June, we had that unbelievable heatwave across the Pacific north-west and British Columbia. We had Death Valley-like temperatures in the glacial valleys of British Columbia, that, for me personally, is probably one of the most shocking modern heatwave events I can remember anywhere.

Simon Wang, meteorologist, Utah State:

The natural disasters, the drought, the heat – it’s hardly surprising any more. Everything that happened has followed the trend that has been predicted 10, 20 years ago. I hate to say “I told you so.” But I just want to make clear that when scientists predict something, there are usually good reasons for that. People should trust the science.

Kathleen Johnson, paleoclimatologist, UC Irvine:

In the paleoclimate record, we can see that these big swings between extreme drought and extreme wet conditions has been a normal feature of California’s climate. But we also know that climate change is likely to increase the amplitude of these extremes. We know that with rising temperatures, droughts will become more droughts and fires will become more intense and more frequent. And we know that we can expect greater rainfall during these extreme events.

Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist, the Nature Conservancy:

According to a recent analysis, there was about an average of three months in between each billion-dollar weather or climate event back in the early 1980s. And nowadays, the average is about 18 days between them. So it’s not only that individual events themselves are getting more dangerous and more damaging. It’s that there’s no respite.

It’s like being knocked over by a wave. You’re struggling to your feet, when another one comes. There’s no time to take a breath in between, there’s no time to recover.

Comments

  1. TrailblazerJanuary 1, 2022 at 5:49 PM

    Whilst science tells us we have an immediate climate issue the media , in the name of neutrality, often stresses climate change opinion rather than fact.
    Amazing what advertising dollars $$ can do.

    in death, he with the most toys wins!!

    TB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Northern PoVJanuary 2, 2022 at 7:16 AM

      Hey TB
      Not sure if you saw my hummingbird reply.

      Now the story made the G&M.

      Delete
    2. The Disaffected LibJanuary 2, 2022 at 12:31 PM

      The media does tend to squeeze every buck out of any good story, TB. Then, in the name of presenting both sides of an issue, they elevate patently bogus claims to the status of scientific truth. This allows the problem to grow even as it the public grows confused, uncertain.

      Perhaps we might be in a far better position today had the media, 30 years ago when the looming climate crisis became discernible, reported the story accurately and powerfully. Instead they shied away and even allowed the fossil energy giants and their political minions to pursue delaying tactics, costing time we never had to squander.

      Delete
  2. TrailblazerJanuary 2, 2022 at 9:25 AM

    Sorry missed it, please point me in the right direction, link etc.
    TB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Disaffected LibJanuary 2, 2022 at 12:34 PM

      Here's the link NPoV posted on 29 December

      https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-hummingbirds-cold-snap-survival-1.6299931

      Delete
  3. TrailblazerJanuary 2, 2022 at 6:14 PM

    Thanks, much appreciated.
    We were wondering why our usually busy feeder has been little used of late.
    On the other hand our suet feeder is well used by the larger birds.
    I am considering a mini warming centre and feeder for future cold winters!
    Seeing the wild birds feed is one of the pleasures of life .

    TB

    ReplyDelete

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