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Two weeks ago, Hurricane Sandy wrecked havoc on the East Coast and on Caribbean countries, such as Haiti. More than one hundred people died, millions of people lost power for over a week, people's homes were swept away, beachfront communities that were once a placid safe-haven for many, are now nonexistent, and there is over $60 billion in total economic losses for the United States.
Businesses were destroyed, bridges were closed, the New York subway system and tunnels were flooded, a crane collapsed and dangled 70 stories above West 57th street, and the Stock Market was closed for the first time since September 11, 2001.
Although my house was thankfully saved from devastation, many people were not as lucky. In Breezy Point, Queens, a fire broke out in the mist of the storm, and where there were once more than 100 houses, all that are left now are the foundations and piles of scattered debris (see picture above.) One of my good friends lost their house to this awful fire, and so, she and her family are now living with me until they find a new place to live. With 11 extra people and their seven-month old Golden Labrador Retriever living in my house, it may be a little hectic at times, but it made me realize just how lucky and blessed I am. My friend has nothing to go back to, and all of her family's memories, from picture albums to antique furniture that have been in the family for years, have just vanished.
My sympathy goes out to everybody affected by Sandy.
Did global warming cause Hurricane Sandy?
Hurricane Sandy fueled an ongoing debate as to whether or not global warming is playing a role in the severity of storms. Some believe that Hurricane Sandy was by no means affected by global warming, but personally, I disagree. I understand that even without global warming, Sandy would still have formed and been a powerful storm. However, I, along with many other people, such as Mayor Bloomberg, believe that it was because of global warming that the storm was even more devastating and destructive as expected. As Eric Pooley from the Environmental Defense Fund puts it, Hurricane Sandy was "weather on steroids." In this case, greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, which cause global warming, acted as the steroids that made the storm greater and more powerful than it would be without such gases.
Since humans are releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere from the use of fossil fuels, anthropogenic global warming is melting the glaciers at an alarming rate. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the amount of Artic Sea Ice reached a record low this August. This rise in sea level is then contributing to more massive storm surges, such as the thirteen-foot storm surges we experienced during Hurricane Sandy. Also, as the Earth's temperature rises, the atmosphere is able to hold more moisture, and this in turn can lead to a more heavy and prolific rainfall during storms.
Carbon Tax
After Hurricane Sandy, the idea of a carbon tax resurfaced. This tax would require large emitters of greenhouse gases, such as oil refineries, to pay a tax, perhaps $20, for every ton of carbon dioxide they emit into the atmosphere. If this tax were to pass, it would encourage the reduction of greenhouse emissions, and it would produce $144 billion by 2020, which would help cut down our trillion-dollar deficit. I think this is a wonderful idea, because it can be beneficial to both the economy and the environment. Here's hoping that the tax will pass during President Obama's second term in office!
Because of global warming, I believe that in the future, we are going to witness many more examples of extreme weather, as we did with Sandy. If this is not a wake-up call for people that global warming is real, I do not know what is.
What are you thoughts on global warming's effect on storms? Do you believe that global warming caused Hurricane Sandy to be stronger than it would be without global warming, or do you think that this is all hype? Do you think that a carbon tax can work to reduce our carbon emissions? Please share your thoughts below.
Picture Credits:
Entrance to the Battery Tunnel: Timothy Krause (via flickr)
Destroyed Homes in Breezy Point, Queens: Stephen Nessen (via flickr)
Sources:
Paul M. Barrett "It's Global Warming, Stupid" Bloomberg Businessweek November 1, 2012
Jane Beitler "How low is low?" National Snow and Ice Data Center August 30 2012
Erika Bolstad "Superstorm Sandy caused by Global Warming?" The Seattle Times November 1, 2012
Kerry Burke, Greg B. Smith, Corky Siemaszko "Crane collapse in Manhattan" New York Daily News October 29, 2012
Chris Mooney "Climate Change Made Sandy Worse. Period." ClimateDesk.org November 8, 2012
Christopher S. Rugaber and Martin Crutsinger "Hurricane Sandy Estimated to Cost $60 Billion" TIME Business and Money October 31, 2012
Valarie Volcovici "Carbon tax suddenly part of ‘fiscal cliff' debate" REUTERS November 8, 2012
