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Recently we’ve heard references to telltale signs of a warming planet affecting different parts of the world or the projections of a neglected climate. Climate change is a topic that is becoming more prominent in the media. Experts draw the links between extreme weather patterns, increased migrations, sea level rise, and animal deaths as a result the increase in CO2 within our atmosphere.
According to the United Nations a disaster like the Australian wildfires of 2021 that caused 8.4 million hectares to be burned is due to extreme drought and heat. One hectare is equivalent in size to 2.47 acres. This means that Australia has burned around 20.7 million acres. In Texas we love our football so it’s only appropriate to compare that to just about 16 million football fields. It’s estimated that along with dozens of people killed during the weeks-long event, BILLIONS of animals were lost in the process.
So why am i mentioning Australia? The extreme events that occurred down under are just a few of the many that have been caused by a warming planet. But don’t be fooled, just because our globe is experiencing an increase in temperature, doesn’t mean every related incident of this crisis results in flames.
Remember those record-breaking freezing temperatures in February 2021. I sure do. I was stranded in Victoria without electricity, far from my home. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration raised concerns in January about the disruption of the polar vortex due to irregular warming. Likely the majority of Americans asked, what’s that?
More: Texans’ trauma from 2021 power grid failure provoked by another winter storm
Our planet’s poles are surrounded by areas of low pressure and cold air but when you throw in rapidly warming geography, you get extreme cold events in southern parts of America. According to NOAA stratosphere expert Amy Butler, “…anything that changes their strength or location—including changes in surface temperature and pressure that result from sea ice loss—can potentially influence the polar vortex.” Butler highlights the fact that as there is an overall warming trend happening around the globe, we may see an increase in the severity of individual cold weather events in places like Texas that usually don’t experience freezing electric grids.
Research has shown that disruptions to the polar vortex can lead to extreme cold air events in the mid-latitudes of America. No matter if they are academic papers from NOAA, Climate.Gov or National Geographic, these papers show the reality of climate changes that have affected and will continue to affect different regions of the planet.
Corpus Christi, our beautiful city, is located in a bay just off the Gulf of Mexico. It’s known for its recreational beaches, the National Seashore, and being a home to endangered marine animals like the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and a plethora of migratory birds, which has earned it the title, “Birdiest City in America” for close to a decade now. However, our city is among the 254 communities that are located in the U.S. along the coast. According to NOAA these communities fall under the elevated coastal hazard category. The changing climate is threatening the lives of the 124 million Americans living near or near the coast.
The National Center for Coastal Ocean Science also asserts that cities such as ours are at risk from rising seas, flooding and coastal storms. In 2016, the United States alone experienced 15 weather and climate catastrophes that resulted in losses exceeding $1 billion. Corpus Christi isn’t unknown to these extreme weather events, winter storms, hurricane conditions, and flooding costs.
We’ve had our fair share of shoveling money towards addressing the aftermath of these disastrous tragedies, but unfortunately we’ve only ever reacted to these sorts of extreme weather events instead of strategically preparing for them long-term. Our coastal community ought to be in favor of protecting our “Sparkling City by the Sea” by acknowledging our risk of an increase in climate change related events. Extreme weather events or sea level rise can affect parts of or whole coastal ecosystems, and the functions they provide for our coastal community’s economy.
We owe it as a city at high risk for climate change to prepare ourselves and the more 326,000 residents of this city for changes in weather patterns. Resilience refers to the ability to adapt to adverse events, plan and prepare for them. It’s time the “Sparkling City by the Sea” transitions to the “Resilient City by the Sea” by putting climate change on our radar before our sparkle begins to dim.
Armon Alex is vice chair of the Mayor’s Environmental Task Force. He also serves as a member of the board of directors of EarthEcho International. He is a TedTalk speaker in science communications and is co-executive Director of the Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit. He currently is an undergraduate student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
This article first appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times. Corpus Christi doesn’t seem to be immune from the global climate crisis
