“Things don’t always change in a nice, gradual way.”
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of the numerous overlapping climate disasters in the world. For instance, in Phoenix, Arizona, the temperature has exceeded 110 degrees for two consecutive weeks, while the waters off the Florida coast are reaching excessively hot temperatures similar to that of a hot tub. Marine heat waves could potentially cover half of the world’s oceans. Canada is currently experiencing its worst wildfire season on record, causing sporadic smoke that may persist until October. Additionally, floods are submerging towns in the Northeast, destroying roads and leaving train tracks suspended in mid-air. Even in Antarctica, where sea ice should be expanding, it appears to be losing mass.
These events align with climate scientists’ expectations. The rise in global temperatures is occurring at the predicted rate, leading to an increase in natural disasters. While there may be some year-to-year variation, overall, climate change is implicated in all of these events. It intensifies hot days, makes rainstorms more severe, and increases the risk of wildfires. Climate scientists no longer need to conduct specific attribution studies to make these assertions; it has become common knowledge. As climatologist Gavin Schmidt notes, this understanding is far from rocket science.
However, climate science is not always straightforward. While the overall trajectory is clear, specific local changes may come as surprises. Climate change destabilizes the environment and leads to unpredictably unpredictable effects. For example, the total surface area of Antarctic sea ice is currently much smaller than average, breaking records. The reasons for this phenomenon and whether it will persist remain uncertain. Similarly, scientists still have much to learn about how climate change influences global weather patterns. Weather systems can be redirected or stalled, resulting in drought-stricken regions receiving unexpected storms or scorching atmospheres lingering in one place, such as the heat dome over Phoenix.
Furthermore, there has been a shift in how Americans discuss climate change. It is no longer framed as a future concern but as a present reality. More individuals have personal experiences with climate-related disasters, reinforcing the idea that this is the way things are now. As Schmidt emphasizes, the canaries in the coal mine have long perished.
The climate is no longer someone else’s weather; it has become our own. The accumulating catastrophes of this year only solidify this notion. We experience the heat, the fires, the melting, and the floods firsthand. Climate change is no longer an abstract concept; it is the weather we encounter every day, shaping our lives and decisions.
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