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Ally Lubas

Ms. Gardner

English 10H/ Period 4

9 May 2017

Climate Change: It Has A Direct Impact On Weather Disasters

From 1980 to 2012, disasters caused nearly $3.8 billion in economic loss and claimed a

total of 1.4 billion lives, according to Jen Stephens, a climate change researcher. Climate

change is occurring all around us, causing more natural disasters through the process of global

warming. Global warming is a very controversial term used to hypothesize, The gradual

increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is

believed to be permanently changing the Earths climate, stated by the staff from

lifescience.org. If it gets out of hand, climate change has the potential to, Disrupt the lives of

our grandchildren, claims climate change researcher Amanda Hoover. The increase in

temperature around the globe is causing more natural disasters to occur. The warming global

climate has led to an increase in natural disasters that occur this year along with a rise in their

intensity, duration, and lives taken by these super storms.

Initially, many would argue that weather patterns are cyclical and are not influenced by

the warming climate. Many people support this viewpoint based on recent studies that have been

conducted over the past few years. For example, Jessica Mendoza, a climate change researcher
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declares that, A growing body of evidence, that has been collected by other climate researchers

after twelve large fires broke out on June thirtieth 2016 , suggests that other human activity and

policy have at least as much impact on wildfires as climate change. Additionally, another

climate change researcher William Yardley found through his extensive research that many

people in our society view natural disasters as Just very bad luck, in regards to the number of

wildfires that occur each year. To summarize this viewpoint, many believe that natural disasters

such as wildfires as being inevitable and are dependent upon ones luck. Although many believe

that the occurrence of natural disasters is determined by luck, new evidence suggests that the true

causes of these forces of nature is our rapidly changing climate. Recent findings may claim that

climate change is causing natural disasters, which is ultimately determined on luck.

Climate change may be determined as just a game of chance but, natural disasters are

happening more and more because of our changing climate. There are new research projects that

have been conducted, that prove climate change has an affect on natural disasters and how often

they occur. For example, climate researcher Eva Botkin- Kowacki acknowledges that, Already

wildfires across the western United States have doubled during the past three decades as a result

of human-induced climate change, according to a study published Monday in the journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. With this new study in place, scientists are

indicating that wildfires are on the rise. Another study was conducted and recorded by Amanda

Hoover, another researcher who found out that, A new study examining the floods that

devastated Louisiana last month revealed that rising temperatures about doubled chances for
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such heavy rainfall. Hoover also found out another startling statistic through her research from

another climate change researcher; This link marked one of the first times researchers have been

able to draw a connection between how Earth's climate has changed over time and how singular,

specific weather disasters occur as a result." (Christian Science Monitor) Based on these

findings, climate change is happening all around us, leading to more natural disasters. To sum it

all up, if natural disasters are on the rise and there is evidence that claims that the climate is

changing, why would it be a game of luck if we know that the warmer the climate, the more

likely natural disasters are to occur?

Nowadays, statistics are pointing out the fact that natural disasters are becoming more

intense. Furthermore, there is startling new research that claims that natural disasters are

becoming more intense, mainly because of the way we are building our cities and constructing

our societies. Ker Than, a staff reporter who has degrees from the University of California in

Irvine, New York University and has a masters degree in science journalism claims that,

People are also tempting nature with rapid and unplanned urbanization in flood-prone regions,

increasing the likelihood that their towns and villages will be affected by flash floods and coastal

floods. To contradict Thans point, Jen Stephens reveals that, In developing countries,

vulnerable population's ability to recover from the impact of these events can be weakened by

poverty, inadequate or unsustainable development practices, environmental degradation, and

population growth. This means that any country, regardless of how modernized it is,
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will still experience devastating effects from natural disasters. If a city has a lot of unplanned

urbanization in flood prone areas, or if a city isnt very modernized with poorly constructed

buildings, both these types of civilizations will experience devastating effects from natural

disasters. Obviously, these statistics prove that we, as a society are making natural disasters seem

more powerful because of both our big cities and our less modernized cities. As a result, because

of natural disasters on the rise and our more modernized cities, natural disasters become more

intense due to there be more citie and homes available for the storms to destroy.

Ultimately, climate change is something that we as a society should be more aware of

because the natural disasters are becoming more frequent, leading to harmful consequences do to

climate change. Death tolls are on the rise because of the frequency of natural disasters. Than

also claimed in his research that; Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast in late August,

killing more than 1,200 people. Stephens also notes the rising death tolls from natural disasters

in an article written by her that, From 1980 to 2012, disasters caused nearly $3.8 billion in

economic loss and claimed a total of 1.4 million lives. Evidently, because of natural disasters

increasing, death tolls are increasing as well because of them. Therefore, we should be more

educated on the changing climate which is leading to more natural disasters and higher death

tolls.

In conclusion, climate change caused by global warming has led to more natural disasters

happening around the world that have a greater intensity and cause more casualties, making this
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an issue that all of society should be aware of. Not paying attention to our changing climate and

adopting new

ways of living can lead to more annual death counts and even increase the likelihood of natural

disasters occurring. Lets better educate our society about the natural disasters that occur each

and everyday around the world to better the lives of not only our society, but the society of

tomorrow.

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Works Cited

Botkin-Kowacki, Eva. "Expect More Wildfires, Flooding, Say Climate

Scientists.&quot;<i> Christian Science Monitor</i>, 10 Oct, 2016, pp. n/a<i>, SIRS

Issues Researcher</i>, <a href="https://sks.sirs.com"target="

blank">https://sks.sirs.com</a>.

Hoover, Amanda. &quot;What Effect did Climate Change have on the Louisiana

Floods?&quot;<i> Christian Science Monitor</i>, 08 Sep, 2016, pp. n/a<i>, SIRS Issues

Researcher</i>, <a href="https://sks.sirs.com" target="_blank">https://sks.sirs.com</a>.

Mendoza, Jessica. &quot;As Wildfires Challenge California, the Causes Go Beyond

Climate.&quot;<i> Christian Science Monitor</i>, 01 Jul, 2016, pp. n/a<i>, SIRS Issues

Researcher</i>, <a href="https://sks.sirs.com" target="_blank">https://sks.sirs.com</a>.

Stephens, Jen. &quot;Let's Not Forget Disaster Risk as we Rush to Adapt to Climate

Change.&quot;<i> Inter Press Service</i>, 09 May, 2016, pp. n/a<i>, SIRS Issues

Researcher</i>, <a href="https://sks.sirs.com" target="_blank">https://sks.sirs.com</a>.

Than, Ker. Scientists: Natural Disasters Becoming More Common. LiveScience, Purch, 17
Oct.

2005, www.livescience.com/414-scientists-natural-disasters-common.html. Accessed 6

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May 2017.

Yardley, William. &quot;Fire Overtakes a Climate Debate.&quot;<i> Los Angeles Times</i>,

08

May, 2016, pp. A.1<i>, SIRS Issues Researcher</i>, <a href="https://sks.sirs.com"

target="_blank">https://sks.sirs.com</a>.