USA Today (November 12)
“Thanks to computers and smartphones, Americans are more dependent than ever on electricity. But the nation’s 20th century power grid is incompatible with its 21st century economy and increasingly extreme weather.” For days and even weeks, thousands were left in the dark following hurricane Sandy. “The utilities are not powerless. They can bury more key lines, harden substations and protect cellular communications, a vital link when disaster strikes.”
Tags: Disaster, Extreme weather, Power grid, Sandy, Smartphones, U.S., Utilities
Bloomberg (November 2)Bloomberg (November 2)
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, endorsed Democratic President Obama. Obama’s position on climate change was a major factor in the endorsement. “Our climate is changing. And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it might be – given this week’s devastation – should compel all elected leaders to take immediate action.”
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, endorsed Democratic President Obama. Obama’s position on climate change was a major factor in the endorsement. “Our climate is changing. And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it might be – given this week’s devastation – should compel all elected leaders to take immediate action.”
Tags: Bloomberg, Climate change, Extreme weather, New York, Obama
Ceres (November 1)
Losses from Hurricane Sandy may run as high as $50 billion. Ceres has urged “insurance companies to reckon with the economic implications of increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather induced by climate change.” They should take the lead in pushing “for climate-friendly legislation and measures to improve resilience, such as building communities in safer areas and moving electrical equipment in buildings from basements to higher floors.”
New York Times (July 10)
“The recent heat wave that has fried much of the country, ruined crops and led to heat-related deaths has again raised the question of whether this and other extreme weather events can be attributed to human-induced climate change. The answer, increasingly, is a qualified yes.” While individual events such as floods, hurricanes and heat waves cannot be blamed directly on global warming, the consensus is that global warming increases the frequency of these and other extreme weather events.
“The recent heat wave that has fried much of the country, ruined crops and led to heat-related deaths has again raised the question of whether this and other extreme weather events can be attributed to human-induced climate change. The answer, increasingly, is a qualified yes.” While individual events such as floods, hurricanes and heat waves cannot be blamed directly on global warming, the consensus is that global warming increases the frequency of these and other extreme weather events.
Tags: Extreme weather, Floods, Global warming, U.S.
