Recent Disasters in Global Warming

1. Hottest Month in History

July 2021 was officially declared the hottest month in 142 years of records, with a land and ocean temperature 1.67˚F higher than the average in the 1900s. Land temperature individually was 2.77˚F above average. Several anomalies in climate change and natural disasters occurred during July 2021, including Hurricane Elsa, lower Arctic sea ice extent, higher cyclone activity around the globe.

The intensity of temperatures on land was more considerable than those on oceans; this strongly indicates that human interference in the environment, specifically climate change, is a key player in the increasing heat. In July 2021 alone, there were already four natural disasters resulting in damages of at least $1 billion.

2. Hurricane Ida

Hurricane Ida hit land in Louisiana on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, August 26, 2021, as one of the most intense and speedily accelerating storms seen in America. It was initially a highly threatening Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds when it first reached land, later moving farther inland. Ida came with drenching downpours, ferocious winds, and awful tornadoes, along with several deaths.

Scientists have observed climate change majorly influencing such natural disasters. The number of hurricanes and tropical storms occurring over the Atlantic Ocean have increased in recent decades as a result of warming sea levels. While seasonal increases in temperature in the Gulf of Mexico contributed to Hurricane Ida, climate change had a significant role, too. Hurricane Ida traveled across ocean water that was far hotter than regular temperatures passed by hurricanes, providing even more fuel for the storm to develop.

3. Economic Threats

Goods and services reliant on the ocean, including tourism, fishing, and research, have created an industry generating about $2 trillion annually. Marine ecosystems are suffering greatly because of the effects of climate change like rising sea levels, increases in temperature, and shrinking ice cover. For example, the mean Arctic sea ice cover in the summer is diminishing by 13% each year.

Changes in ocean temperatures oscillate fragile conditions that can completely topple ecosystems with the slightest alterations, such as salinity and oxygen levels. Cyclones, hurricanes, and other storms fueled by oceans are also becoming more severe, putting the $2 trillion industry in further jeopardy. With climate change skyrocketing, its effects are no longer limited to just damaging wildlife and natural ecosystems. It is now having a direct impact on humans as well.

4. Salt Lake Drying Up

The Great Salt Lake in Salt Lake City, Utah, whose size has already decreased by two thirds, may eventually dry up entirely because of climate change. Evaporation of the lake is becoming increasingly disturbing due to surges in temperatures from global warming. If the lake fully dries, it poses extreme dangers to both people and natural wildlife. Firstly, animals in and near the lake, such as shrimp and birds, would potentially become endangered or even extinct. Economic revenue would also go down because nearby ski resorts would lose customers and there would be lower extraction of resources and minerals from the lake.

One of the biggest concerns, however, would be that the surrounding air could become toxic. ​​The lake bed contains high amounts of arsenic, which could be carried into the lungs of Salt Lake City’s residents as wind storms pick up more of the exposed chemical. Arsenic is extremely damaging for the lungs, as even a small amount can cause damage like that of decades of tobacco smoking. With droughts becoming more severe because of climate change, there is no clear solution to the Great Salt Lake problem.

Works Cited

Flavelle, Christopher, and Bryan Tarnowski. “As the Great Salt Lake Dries Up, Utah Faces An ‘Environmental Nuclear Bomb.’” The New York Times, 7 June 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/07/climate/salt-lake-city-climate-disaster.html. Accessed 11 June 2022.

Fountain, Henry. “Here’s How Ida Quickly Strengthened Into a Monster.” The New York Times, 29 Aug. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/29/climate/hurricane-ida-category.html. Accessed 11 June 2022.

Harvey, Chelsea. “July Was the Hottest Month in Recorded History.” Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2019, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/july-was-the-hottest-month-in-recorded-history/. Accessed 11 June 2022.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “It’s Official: July Was Earth’s Hottest Month on Record.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 13 Aug. 2021, https://www.noaa.gov/news/its-official-july-2021-was-earths-hottest-month-on-record. Accessed 11 June 2022.

University of Chicago Medical Center. “Study Adds Lung Damage to Harmful Effects of Arsenic.” ScienceDaily, 22 Aug. 2013, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130822194232.htm. Accessed 11 June 2022.