We are almost at the end of another year and it is time to look at the present state of climate change. Last month was the hottest November in history. The last six years have been the hottest in the 140-year and this year will extend that run to seven and may even top the list as the hottest in recorded history.
So, what are the effects of our rapidly increasing temperatures? California has had a record setting wildfire year, with more than four million acres burned. The state’s wildfire season is now 78 days longer than it was more than a generation ago. Ice caps around the world are melting more rapidly. Antarctica lost six times more ice from 2009-2017 as it did from 1979-1989. Sea level rise is rapidly increasing, with predictions of between 2-6 feet rise by the end of the century, causing catastrophic flooding to coastal areas. Ocean acidification is rapidly increasing, causing increasing deaths of our coral reefs.
On the wet side, this year’s hurricane season saw an unprecedented 30 named Atlantic storms, with as many as 12 making landfall in the United State — the highest number ever. An historical analysis found that hurricanes don’t slow down as much as they used to upon hitting land. Super Typhoon Goni hit the Philippines in late October with a one-minute sustained wind speed of 195 mph, making it the strongest known cyclone to strike land. Climate change doesn’t cause hurricanes, but warmer water and moister air are giving them added fuel. There has also been record setting flooding in the Midwest with tremendous economic and personal suffering..
All these natural disasters caused $76 billion in insured losses during 2020, according to a new report from Swiss Re, one of the world’s biggest multi-national insurance companies. That’s a 40 percent increase from the $54 billion in losses that occurred in 2019.
It is obvious that we are courting disaster if we continue to let climate change continue at its present pace. The good news is that we do have answers that will actually help our economy. Let us hope and pray that we will begin to take action in 2021.
Vernon Dixon, MD