WhoWhatWhy’s Post

🌎 "Climate change is, as the U.S. military calls it, a threat multiplier. It's taking the natural weather disasters that we've always had — the droughts, the floods, the heatwaves, and more — and it's supersizing them, making them bigger, like a baseball player on steroids. And you know what? That is putting us all at risk." That's climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe in an original video series for The Cool Down -- we asked her to respond to some of the (sometimes off the wall) comments we see in our social media feed -- and set the record straight in plain English around what's happening to our planet. 👉 Here's the deal: #climatechange -- and specifically burning #fossilfuels -- is magnifying the intensity of our heat waves (see all time high temps this summer 🔥 ), creating stronger hurricanes, and making our weather more extreme and much more dangerous for humans. And we need *everyone* to understand this. Too often, the media shows the drama of the weather but isn't helping viewers make sense of why it's happening. 🎯 Bottom line: "Our future is in our hands," as Katharine says. Friends in media, here are some suggestions: ➡ Make sure you're connected to Covering Climate Now and Mark Hertsgaard, Climate Central, Inc. and Bernadette Woods Placky, and Anthony Leiserowitz at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication to inform your coverage ➡ Invite Katharine on air to explain the context of what's happening to your viewers in simple, impactful ways ➡ Reach out to me about how you can partner with The Cool Down to help connect your viewers to what's happening, the solutions that exist, and how they can make a difference One of our features with Katharine: https://lnkd.in/g28huMZu #extremeweather #weather #climatechange #climatesolutions #lateristoolate

Just look back in each of our lives.... things have changed dramatically. There were far fewer things then but life still went on. > land was tilled by bullocks but we still fed the population > communication was via snail mail or wired phone but messages got through > food came straight from farm to kitchen to the plate and it was tasty and healthy > Commute was walking, cycling or public transport but we still got to the destination Capitalism means efficient, fast, easy, greedy, cushy comfort built using money that is borrowed from the future. The past few generations have lived beyond our means and to fund it we borrowed from the future generations without their permission. Can we change now- NO. we are addicts and there's no Rehab that can accommodate humanity. what will the stupid us do- > build larger and bigger airconditioners to take on the climate > from processed food we will to move to pills > build stronger buildings to withstand storms and hurricanes and so on Nature is stronger so brace for an hard landing.

Working with climate scenarios for 20 years, the part that has always struck me the most was the scientific consensus that extreme events will become 'more frequent and more severe'. I think like many of us, we didn't think the scale and scope would be happening so soon. But, I'm most afraid that this is just a sampling of what's to come. I think it's time we stop arguing about scenarios in the future but focus on how we are going to manage socio-economic and ecological systems that have developed under relatively stable climate conditions. The present and the future will no longer look anything like the past. The arguments about which scenario path we are on for 2050 just doesn't seem all that relevant when the fires, floods, hurricanes, droughts, and extreme heat events are happening now and will only get worse.

As summer draws to a close, it's impossible to ignore the striking extremes we've witnessed. 🔥☔This summer has been nothing short of extraordinary, from scorching temperatures to unrelenting wildfires, wild storms, and relentless downpours. As we reflect on the climate challenges ahead, take a moment to explore these extraordinary photos capturing July's unprecedented weather events. They serve as a powerful reminder of the urgent need for collective action to address our changing climate 💪 💚 Let's continue to raise awareness and work towards a more sustainable future. Together, we can still make a difference. https://lnkd.in/gd4k8nmu

Outstanding report from McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility: Impacts of climate change on Black populations in the United States. This report explains clearly how preexisting economic inequities could be exacerbated by climate change, including for high-risk wildfire zones that can disproportionately impact racial minorities. Here in Canada, the devastating 2023 wildfire season we experienced disproportionally impacted Autochtones collectivities. There are ways to better prepraed our collectivities and residences, we discuss best practices in a clear and simple way here: ➡ https://lnkd.in/euyTTS3n

Have you seen these ruler-like instruments along the city shoreline recently? They’re called “staff gauges” and they help us track how the shoreline is changing. High water events today, give us a peek into how tides may look in the future. This helps us better plan coastal and other City infrastructure. If you are by the shoreline over the next couple days, you may see king tides. Two of these gauges can be viewed safely from nearby high ground during king tide events: ✔️South of Carrington St and Celtic Ave, just north of Deering Island bridge ✔️David Lam Park Climate change is driving sea level rise, which is caused by the ocean expanding as it heats up due to global warming and as major stores of ice from glaciers and ice sheets melt. These winter storms may create powerful storm surges, driving more water up onto our shorelines and potentially flooding low-lying areas. As sea level rises due to climate change, the higher coastal water levels we experience a few days per year during the storm season will occur much more frequently in the future. Learn more about sea level rise and how Vancouver is preparing: https://ow.ly/CxSo50QwsQF

Systemic adaptation looks beyond tactical measures like preparing for floods and extreme heat, and it asks what type of societies will fare best for people and the planet in the future. It is time, past time, to take up systemic adaptation with great seriousness. #climateaction #climatechange #climateadaptation

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room… Climate change is a reality. The time for action is now before the disasters we are witnessing get worse. Read more about climate disasters, how to reverse them, and how to restore a healthy planet here at: https://lnkd.in/gJksjiqs And follow us to learn about how you can help us and our partner organizations change the world for the better.