Storms Like Irene Fuel Momentum for Action on Climate Change
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
As the Eastern Seaboard struggles to come back on line after Hurricane Irene, the millions who have been left without power; been forced to leave their homes and shutter their businesses due to flooding; or spend weeks cleaning up the ravages of downed trees and destroyed homes may well finally provide the political support for action on climate change.
While tying any individual storm to a changing climate is not scientifically sound, scientists have increasingly concluded that the marked step up in intense storms is a function of global warming. In our area, the main culprit is the warming of the Atlantic Ocean due to the increase of greenhouse gases.
Over time, these damaging weather events and their cost in time, dollars and lives have the potential to put some momentum back behind national efforts to adopt Cap and Trade legislation to set goals for greenhouse gas reduction and put in place significant market incentives to make the achievement of the goals possible. This legislation is now stalled in the US Senate.
Over the past two years, there has been an up-tick in the percentage of people who say that there is solid evidence of the earth warming, from about 53% of Americans to 58%, according to the Pew Center for People and the Press. This increase in support is important because it comes after a period of marked decline in belief among Americans in global warming.
The stepped-up support can be partially explained by the fact we have had hot summers and more intense storms over the past two years. Even before Irene, there was already $35 billion of damage done by storms, tornadoes, flooding and heat waves in the United States this year, according to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. More extreme weather will generate support for addressing climate change in a way that no advertising or public relations campaign--no matter how cleverly designed --can.
People frustrated by the lack of movement on climate change can also take heart in the fact that individual components of the comprehensive policies needed to limit climate change are more popular than action on climate change itself. For example, 63% of Americans say developing alternative sources of energy such as wind, solar and hydrogen technology, should be a more important priority of addressing America’s energy supply than expanding exploration and production of oil, coal and natural gas. Similarly, the dramatically increased miles per gallon requirements for new cars recently mandated by the Obama Administration through an Executive Order are popular.
Those voters skeptical of climate change respond to the argument that it is in the national interest to become energy independent to end our reliance on Mideast oil. Further, strong support for the common-sense notion that energy conservation will save tax dollars and provide relief for tight family budgets cuts across party and demographic lines.
These arguments must be advanced in order to win victories in the battle against climate change. However, the weather that affects us all directly, as we were all reminded this past weekend, will play a major role in shaping the future of the climate change debate.GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
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