Climate Crisis AM Edition 2/12/24 Fleeing California
People who used to love the idea of living in California are changing their minds. At this point, many residents of the state have changed their minds. It should not be a surprise. Massive floods have hit the state’s West Coast, primarily because of what is known as the Pineapple Express, a massive river in the sky that brings water from the warm Pacific Ocean to the nation’s largest state by population. This “river” has caused billions of dollars in damage. And the environment in the state is a sort of whiplash. The heavy rains follow what has been called a 1,200-year drought in some areas in the south of the state. According to NPR, another factor related to weather is wildfires.’
More on the climate crisis in California
Because of climate change, the Atlantic Ocean faces a nearly existential problem. According to an article in Science titled “Physics-based early warning signal shows that AMOC is on tipping course,” “One of the most prominent climate tipping elements is the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which can potentially collapse because of the input of fresh water in the North Atlantic.” A change in the salt composition of the ocean could alter weather patterns and affect wildlife. According to The Washinton Post, “Sea levels in the North Atlantic would surge by up to a meter as water piled up in the region, and the bottom of the ocean would run short on oxygen — killing the creatures that live in its depths. Meanwhile, the rest of the world would continue to get warmer, thanks to humanity’s heat-trapping greenhouse gas pollution.” The change would be irreversible.
Climate Change Threatens Children
One effect of climate change is that it affects children who play outdoors. According to First Street Data, in an article titled “Atrocious Air,” the authors wrote, “While air quality has significantly improved from the first half of the 20th century, there are growing concerns that climate change impacts are undoing some of the progress the US has made through regulations and policy. “ The Hill elaborated: “Over the next thirty years — the length of the average mortgage — this region will see a noticeable uptick in bad air days, according to the study. Los Angeles, for example, currently experiences 47 days annually when the air is — at minimum — unsafe for children and those with chronic illness…”
A UN report titled “The State of World Migratory Species” states climate change could trigger species extinction. “The available evidence suggests that the conservation status of many CMS-listed species (Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals) is deteriorating. One in five CMS species are threatened with extinction and a substantial proportion (44%) are undergoing population declines.” Inside Climate News offered a further explanation, “Unsustainable human activities threaten migratory species in a myriad of ways. By far, the two greatest pressures come from habitat loss and overexploitation, report co-author Kelly Malsch said. “
