Some scientists are recommending that the descriptor of “natural” be dropped when describing disasters like Hurricane Michael. Says Ksenia Chmutina, lecturer at Loughborough University to CNN, “By blaming nature on disasters, we’re saying there is nothing we can do about this – we can’t do anything to reduce the risks. Which is not the case.” Kerry A. Emanuel, professor of atmospheric science at MIT, offers a similar sentiment, noting to CNN, “The phrase ‘natural disaster’ is an attempt to lay blame where blame really doesn’t rest.”
Instead, the human influence on these disasters needs to be considered, whether by the influence of considerations like climate change, caused by burning of fossil fuels, or by human migration patterns, with the number of people living in areas subject to hurricane risks tripling since the 1970s, as build-up continues along coastlines.
Regarding the influence of rising temperatures, Emanuel notes in his comments to CNN, “The best scientific info we have now is that the probabilities of these intense hurricanes – from the point of view of both wind and water – are going up in many places because of global warming.” Kevin A. Reed, assistant professor at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, observes, “The climate is changing, and that means that weather is impacted by the current state of the climate. There’s a human fingerprint on that. So, to some extent, there’s a human fingerprint on individual weather events.”
For the buildup along coastlines, Emanuel comments on the role of government, and policies like the Natural Flood Insurance Plan, saying to CNN, “The problem in the United States is that we not only stop adaptation but we’re actually engaged in what you might call a ‘negative adaptation’ to the risks posed by storms and climate change. The government – both at the state and federal level – has strong policies in place that encourage people to live and build in risky places.” Instead of working to keep people clear of zones most likely to be hit, these policies instead drive people toward them. While nature still is an important part of these disasters, the influence of humanity on them continues to grow.
Source:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/10/health/sutter-natural-disaster-hurricane-michael/index.html
