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How Humans Are Affecting Hurricanes

 

Originally published in the The Harbinger

Hurricane Irma brought panic, distress, damage, and trauma to South Florida. Florida, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and many other areas were battered with heavy rainfall and falling trees. Hundreds of lives were lost and recovery was difficult.

Everyday, it is becoming more apparent that the climate is changing and that humans are playing a role in that change. It’s alarming to know that human actions have an impact on the hurricane season.

Chopping down forests, driving cars, and burning fossil fuels all emit greenhouse gases and all are completed through human actions. When greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide are emitted into the environment, the air becomes polluted and the oceans become warmer. Not only does air pollution put people in harm’s way, but it also warms the atmosphere. When the atmosphere warms, it adds on to global warming, which contributes to the production of intense hurricanes.

“Human-made global warming creates conditions that increases the chances of extreme weather,” states the Union of Concerned Scientists, a group of scientists and engineers who are dedicated to solving world problems such as global warming. Unfortunately, there are not enough concerned people in the world.

People seem to have a habit of  belittling serious problems, and this is one of them. For years, instead of showing concern for the growing issue, individuals deny global warming’s existence. They continue to cut down trees, burn coal, dump oil into the ocean, litter. Now, there’s a dirty environment, melting glaciers, and intense hurricanes that are causing the deaths of many. Yet, the coal burning, oil dumping, tree cutting, and littering doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

Evidence shows that global warming can cause hurricanes to intensify. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions project a 45 to 87 percent increase in the intensification of hurricanes, meaning much more intense, although less frequent, hurricanes. The amount of category four and five hurricanes will continue to increase unless action is taken. If there’s anything to learn from Katrina, Harvey, Matthew, Irma, Lane, and Michael, it’s that these natural disasters pose a threat to the lives and homes of others.

Within the next century, sea levels are projected to rise one to four feet. As the atmosphere warms, glaciers melt, sea levels rise, and that presents an opportunity for the frequency of storm surges and storm floods to increase, leading to more destruction and death.

“It is likely that greenhouse warming will cause hurricanes in the coming century to be more intense globally and have higher rainfall rates than present-day hurricanes” concluded the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL).

Every time someone burns a forest, they’re impacting hurricane season. Everytime someone burns a fossil fuel, another is at risk at getting harmed in a devastating hurricane. Everytime the ocean warms, there’s room for a hurricane to intensify and cause damage to the lives of others.

However, new discoveries and advances in technology provide the resources necessary to find ways to produce fuel without burning fossils fuels and emitting carbon dioxide into the air. Instead of degrading our environment by burning fossil fuels, synthetic gas that isolates carbon dioxide can be made. More funds can be used to research alternative ways to produce energy without emitting greenhouse gases. Even the little things, such as carpooling can be of aid.

Every year, there are reports of floods, heavy rainfall, and hurricanes that take a toll on people’s lives. It is important that humans, the ones who are supposed to take care of the environment, do so. With plenty of resources available, plenty of ways to inform the public, and plenty of people to come up with ideas, there’s no reason why people can’t have a positive impact on the environment and attempt to lower the intensity of hurricanes.

Everyone owes that to themselves, the environment, and their safety.