Climate Change is NOT Making Disasters Worse
Dr. Roger Pielke, Jr. has a new examination of the topic of disasters over recent decades. Here's a graph that shows that natural disasters are decreasing as a percentage of gross national product of the world. The trend is down.
While on the topic, there is -- by definition -- no such thing as "climate whiplash." This headline is from Monday's Los Angeles Times.
Dr. Daniel Swain, who evidently coined the term, is incorrect as to the definition of "climate." The Glossary of Meteorology defines climate in this manner:"The slowly varying aspects of the atmosphere–hydrosphere–land surface system."
Climate is usually determined over 30 year and longer periods. If it is "whiplashing," it is weather, not climate.
More and more, it appears climate is being used to excuse the obvious mismanagement of fire risk and the response to the current fires. Throughout the 16 year history of this blog, we've talked about weather as the "all-purpose excuse." That has become the case with these fires in California.
The world has spent more than $6 trillion on climate change and that number rises every day. Perhaps it is time to consider filling reservoirs, clearing brush, not sending out official -- but false-- evacuation orders, and other tried and true methods to damp down fire risk.
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