Category: Earth/Climate science

How Higher Gas Prices Can Lower Emissions

How Higher Gas Prices Can Lower Emissions

How Higher Gas Prices Can Lower Emissions

03/09/20

“How can higher gas prices lower carbon emissions?”

 

Gas quite literally fuels much of our civilization. Whether it be the cars we drive or the planes we fly, gasoline makes us move. Since gas is a commodity, it has a price to it. And when the prices become higher, the more necessary it will be to conserve. As a result, higher gas prices cause people to burn less fuel and therefore fewer emissions into the atmosphere. This is How Higher Gas Prices Can Lower Emissions.

Displacement From Sea-Level Rise

Displacement From Sea-Level Rise

Displacement From Sea-Level Rise

03/08/20

“How can sea-level rise displace people from their homes?”

 

Since the dawn of civilization, humans have built their cities near the oceans and seas. However, with the advent of climate change, the sea levels are going to rise, destroying structures in their path and forcing people to flee. To prepare for this, governments and communities around the world will need to build their towns in accordance with Displacement From Sea-Level Rise.

Image credit cdn.vox-cdn.com

How Droughts Can Lead to Ecological Devastation

How Droughts Can Lead to Ecological Devastation

How Droughts Can Lead to Ecological Devastation

03/07/20

“How can droughts cause mass ecological devastation?”

 

Water is one of the most important ingredients of life. However, with the changing climate, droughts are becoming more common. When there is an extended period of rain-loss, plants can die out, reducing food sources for animals, cascading until a vast ecosystem death occurs. This is How Droughts Can Lead to Ecological Devastation.

How Surfaces With Friction Can Help With Flood Resilience

How Surfaces With Friction Can Help With Flood Resilience

How Surfaces With Friction Can Help With Flood Resilience

03/05/20

“How can surfaces with friction help with flood resilience?”

 

Floods can devastate nearby communities with their fast-approaching behavior. However, if the land nearby has frictional elements such as foliage, then the flood energy can be dissipated and prevent destruction. Mangrove forests are a common example of this process. This is How Surfaces With Friction Can Help With Flood Resilience.

Why Natural Disasters Are Not Natural

Why Natural Disasters Are Not Natural

Why Natural Disasters Are Not Natural

02/29/20

“Why are natural disasters never really natural?”

 

When a massive hurricane, flood, or wildfire hits an area, it often gets described as a natural disaster. However, the factors that make these disasters such as economic devastation, infrastructure loss, and community displacement, are not from natural factors. Rather, these are from the results of years, decades, and in some cases centuries of bad planning, corrupt leadership, and systematic discrimination. 

 

Take New Orleans during Katrina as an example. While the city was built in an area that was safe from flooding, it was surrounded by floodplain wetlands. When it expanded under U.S control, the Army Corp of Engineers made sure to build levees to protect it. In the 20th century, the government built a wide variety of levees and dams to protect coastal cities, which ended up devastating the sediment carrying process and destroying many natural flood barriers. This was further compounded by the U.S Army Corp of Engineers miscalculating sea-level rise and rate of subsidence for the new levee which caused it to sink 5 ft further into the ground. Combine this with the fact that more vulnerable populations were placed closer to harm’s way and the impact of global warming gon making hurricanes stronger, and you get a very unnatural Hurricane Katrina Disaster. This is just one illustration of Why Natural Disasters Are Not Natural.

Why Weather Forecasting Will Become More Important for Society With the Advent of Climate Change

Why Weather Forecasting Will Become More Important for Society With the Advent of Climate Change

Why Weather Forecasting Will Become More Important for Society With the Advent of Climate Change

02/28/20

“Why will weather prediction become critical for future climate resilience?”

 

Climate change is going to make extreme weather events much more common. And since disasters can occur with a short-term notification, the ability to forecast and respond quickly can make a humungous difference. For example, people learning about an upcoming heavy rainfall can plan ahead and give themselves the proper protection, or if emergency responders can monitor how dry and windy weather conditions will be then they can prepare for a potential wildfire. These are just two of the many reasons Why Weather Forecasting Will Become More Important for Society With the Advent of Climate Change.

How Urban Sprawl Can Lead to Flooding Vulnerabilities

How Urban Sprawl Can Lead to Flooding Vulnerabilities

How Urban Sprawl Can Lead to Flooding Vulnerabilities

02/23/20

“How can urban sprawl lead to flooding vulnerabilities?”

 

Urban sprawl is infamous for causing an untold amount of problems in cities. When cement is poured over floodplains, the local area loses its water absorption capacity and becomes more prone to runoffs and flash floods. An example of this was the massive damage inflicted upon the city of Houston in late 2017 from Hurricane Maria, much of it exacerbated from its urban sprawl. This is How Urban Sprawl Can Lead to Flooding Vulnerabilities.

Sea-Level Rise and Urban Planning

Sea-Level Rise and Urban Planning

Sea-Level Rise and Urban Planning

02/22/20

“Why does sea-level rise need to be included in urban planning?”

 

Sea-level rise from climate change is becoming an increasing concern for urban planners and officials. Because of this, all new urban designs must factor in how their plans will adapt to sea-level rise, whether it be using seawalls or sponge cities. This is how Sea-Level Rise and Urban Planning are connected.

Image credit http://www.wlrn.org

How Climate Migration Can Impact Housing Affordability

How Climate Migration Can Impact Housing Affordability

How Climate Migration Can Impact Housing Affordability

02/21/20

“How can climate migration impact housing affordability?”

 

More and more people are leaving their long-held homes in response to climate stress. These people often move to nearby areas en-masse. Often times these new places do not have enough housing stock to accommodate the new arrivals, resulting in a market pinch, increasing the cost of living dramatically. For this reason, climate-safe areas will need to vastly increase their housing stock to accommodate future residents. This How Climate Migration Can Impact Housing Affordability.