[Intro]
Mean extreme
I mean
Extreme extreme
[Verse 1]
Heavier rainfall
Brings on the floods
Well, after all
Governed by duds
[Bridge]
Mean extreme
I mean
Extreme extreme
[Chorus]
Watch the primate
Gyrate
Can’t win
Putting a spin
On the climate
[Instrumental, Guitar Solo, Drum Fills]
[Verse 2]
Drier droughts
No doubt
Can’t you see
The rising sea
A bout
Of severity
[Bridge]
Mean extreme
I mean
Extreme extreme
[Chorus]
Watch the primate
Gyrate
Can’t win
Putting a spin
On the climate
[Instrumental, Saxophone Solo, Bass]
[Bridge]
Higher highs
Lower lows
Whichever way the wind blows
Drier drys
No one knows
Whichever way the wind blows
[Instrumental, Guitar Solo, Drum Fills]
[Outro]
Higher highs
Lower lows
Whichever way the wind blows
Drier drys
No one knows
Whichever way the wind blows
A SCIENCE NOTE
How Climate Change Intensifies Weather Extremes
1. Increased Atmospheric Water Vapor
Mechanism: Warmer air holds more moisture. For every degree Celsius of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more water vapor . This additional moisture can lead to more intense precipitation events when conditions are right.
Impact: This results in heavier rainfall, leading to increased flood risks during storms.
Example: Record-breaking rainfall and flooding events, such as those seen in Europe in 2021 and the U.S. in 2022, are becoming more frequent and severe .
2. Enhanced Heatwaves
Mechanism: Higher global temperatures increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of heatwaves. Climate change shifts the distribution of temperature extremes, making hot days hotter and more common.
Impact: Increased risk of heat-related illnesses, wildfires, and strain on energy resources due to higher demand for air conditioning.
Example: The heatwave in the Pacific Northwest in 2021 set all-time high temperature records and led to hundreds of deaths .
3. Intensified Storms and Hurricanes
Mechanism: Warmer sea surface temperatures provide more energy to storms and hurricanes, increasing their intensity. Additionally, higher temperatures can lead to more rapid intensification of these systems.
Impact: Stronger winds, heavier rainfall, and higher storm surges cause more damage to coastal areas.
Example: Hurricanes like Harvey (2017), which dropped unprecedented rainfall in Texas, and Dorian (2019), which devastated the Bahamas, exemplify this trend .
4. Prolonged Droughts
Mechanism: Changes in precipitation patterns and increased evaporation rates due to higher temperatures contribute to longer and more severe droughts.
Impact: Reduced water supply, agricultural losses, and increased wildfire risk.
Example: The prolonged droughts in California over the past decade have led to significant water shortages and increased wildfire activity .
5. More Severe Winter Storms
Mechanism: Disruptions in the jet stream, partially driven by Arctic warming, can lead to unusual patterns that result in severe winter storms in certain regions.
Impact: Increased snowfall, ice storms, and prolonged cold spells can disrupt infrastructure, travel, and power supplies.
Example: The February 2021 winter storm in Texas caused widespread power outages and significant damage due to unprecedented cold temperatures .
6. Rising Sea Levels
Mechanism: Melting polar ice and thermal expansion of seawater due to warming contribute to rising sea levels.
Impact: Increased coastal flooding, erosion, and higher storm surges during extreme weather events.
Example: Coastal areas around the world, such as Miami and the Maldives, are experiencing more frequent and severe flooding events .
Summary
Climate change is a key driver in the increasing frequency and intensity of various weather extremes. The complex interactions between higher temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and changing oceanic conditions create a more volatile and unpredictable climate system. This underscores the urgency for robust climate mitigation and adaptation strategies globally.
Our climate model / experiment employs chaos theory to comprehensively consider human impacts and projects a potential global average temperature increase of 9℃ above pre-industrial levels. Global warming is a consequence of elevated thermal energy in the climate system, which comprises various subsystems. Chaos theory underscores the intricate and nonlinear nature of dynamic systems. Previous climate models have inadequately incorporated “social-ecological systems” as human involvement was not a significant factor in past climate changes. Regrettably, the United States ranks among the least prepared countries globally, with the highest percentage of climate deniers. Politicians hinder the fight against climate change exacerbating the problem. The Republican party dismisses it as a manufactured crisis and plans to increase fossil fuel production. Political extremists asserting that the climate crisis is manufactured employ an ironic term, considering that human manufacturing activities are the primary driver of climate change. Both political parties have concurred to allocate unlimited emergency funding for climate disasters instead of proactively preventing them. Last year, the US witnessed a record number of over a billion-dollar climate disasters, totaling 28 separate weather and climate-related events. It is due to this arrogance and ignorance that “worst-case scenarios” are now “best-case scenarios” for the acceleration of climate change. These factors have altered our climate model, shifting the projected maximum temperature rise from 4 degrees Celsius over the next millennium to a probable increase of 9 degrees Celsius this century. A 9-degree Celsius increase would bring the Earth close to a wet-bulb temperature incapable of sustaining human life.