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By: Eric Domenico Summary. A record-breaking heatwave, which was once considered a rare event for the Pacific Northwest, claimed hundreds of lives and disrupted millions more in June of 2021. Temperatures rarely exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Portland, Oregon, but three consecutive days of temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit swept across the land in late June, which most residents and infrastructure were unprepared for. Roads buckled, power cables melted, businesses closed. With temperatures typically being cooler, it is not uncommon to not have air-conditioning, so cooling centers were being opened for the public. Many climate scientists are of the conviction that climate change is responsible for this generally unlikely occurrence. Perhaps to be considered an anomaly by some, that conclusion was tested in August, when 100 plus degrees was met for another two days back-to-back. An alteration to the Jetstream currents that naturally flow across this area has been discovered to be the culprit of this phenomenon. The swirling motion of the Jetstream set in place an unusual condition called an "Omega Block", where the surge of high-pressure stacked on top of itself and stalled over the northwest. An effect of climate change, the responding weather in this region is non-linear due to the magnification brought on by droughts and subsequent wildfires. The positive-feedback loop of increasing temperatures, prolonged droughts, and wildfires in this region is amplifying the devastation even more. In 2021, in the states of Oregon and Washington, wildfires have clamed nearly twenty times more land than in the previous year, which already sustained more wildfires than previously recorded. Drought conditions are recorded in over 90% of the entire Pacific Northwest, too. The likeliness of these events will only increase if temperatures continue to rise globally. The fight against climate change is an uphill battle, and it is still a long ways from effectively mitigating what is being experienced today. Why we should care? As an unsuspecting traveler of the western United States during this heatwave, this topic had become relatable for myself with my first-hand experience of the event. It is prudent to understand the way this has disrupted lives for so many people.  Photo Credit: Axios Example Article. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/18/seventy-two-hours-under-the-heat-dome The article of choice was selected because of its in-depth account of the experience. The article touches on the background of the weather in Oregon and it articulates well on the timeline of this devastating heat wave. Gardener includes detailed accounts from residents and officials experiences to help visualize the devastation which allows it to become relatable. I think often it is easy to detach yourself from a terrible situation you aren't in. Bringing the first-hand accounts to the limelight is a good way to engage and educate readers. Gardner captures the panic, the scramble to respond, the science, and the results all in one captivating read. Science in Action.
Dr. Geert Jan van Oldenborgh (Deceased October 11, 2021) was a climatologist and physicist at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute and Co-founder and Co-leader of World Weather Attribution. Geert Jan van Oldenborgh was co-founder of the World Weather Attribution; an organization that studied extreme weather events to provide quick analyses of the events. Oldenborgh's analysis of the Pacific Northwest heatwave was a desperately important contribution to climate science and understanding climate change's influence on this particular event. Oldenborgh and his partner, Friederike Otto, developed a computer program, called The Climate Explorer, as an unexpected result of studying El Niño. This program revolutionized weather and climate analysis. As someone who was on the forefront of studying extreme weather events, Oldenborgh is a perfect fit to select for this topic and I think choosing him is a great way to honor all of the work he has done as a climatologist while his recent death is still mourned.
13 Comments
Amanda Turner
11/9/2021 11:38:18
This is really scary to read about! Climate change is already affecting lives, and it is only a matter of time before the entire world feels the effects of it. Without changing our lifestyles and focusing more on eco-friendly solutions to current problems, climate change will continue to affect us, which is really scary to think about.
Jacob Philip
11/9/2021 15:48:22
Great article choice, Eric! It seems like heatwaves such as this one aren't going away any time soon, and it makes me concerned for residents of areas that are going to be heavily affected by them. it is especially concerning to think about the many unhoused people in this region and how their lives have been and will continue to be affected by these heatwaves.
Katherine Millican
11/9/2021 20:53:19
With the effects of climate change becoming increasingly hard to ignore, I wonder when more people will start to take action. If temperatures are consistently high, it could be devastating not only for human populations but also wildlife that don't have the option of going into air conditioned spaces and plants that will dry up from the heat.
Mark Kaminski
11/10/2021 13:54:00
This is such an interesting problem. Even though they are vastly different I feel like people almost view heatwaves like flooding. Something that they know is dangerous, but they have the mentality that it is not dangerous to them. As the climate continues to warm its going to be a continuous problem that these areas that are not use to heatwaves, will overstress the power grid. 11/10/2021 16:34:15
Rising temperatures has always been a topic that's caught my eye, and this was a scary read of the reality that we're all bound to face if climate change continues to worsen. It's disturbing to imagine people dying from the heat. I think the increasing temperatures are only going to have a snowball effect. Hopefully more than just the regions affected by it will have more awareness and contributions to help, because if that does not happen then it is not looking good.
Lindsey Hazelton
11/11/2021 10:05:15
I remember I paid close attention to the news and online sources when this was going on because of how unusual and unsettling it was. Climate change is responsible for so many different things and this is another one of those. This is awfully concerning because the areas being affected by this are not prepared for such drastic temperature changes. On top of that, out of the ordinary temperatures such as that are detrimental to both people and the environment. Unfortunately it does not seem like the heat waves will cease any time soon unless something is done.
Ireland Betzold
11/15/2021 20:01:58
It’s absolutely insane that there were three consecutive days of above average heat, especially in Oregon. Although this is only one place, climate change is everywhere and if big corporations don’t do something soon, the effects will worsen and spread.
Cameron Cornellier
11/15/2021 20:13:14
Heatwaves are going to cause unpredictable effects on the cities and people. As stated in your post, power cables melting due to the unnaturally high temperatures in the Pacific Northwest seems like only the beginning of issues that may happen when the temperature raises. I could definitely see scenarios where buildings, roads, and other infrastructure begin to melt with increased sunlight and lack of ozone controlling it. We also have to consider wildfires and evaporation of water sources if the heat spikes. Controlling our effect on the rising temperatures should be a priority of humans.
Jackson Gifford
11/15/2021 23:38:23
I found this topic interesting because it illustrates the piggybacking effect that certain climate change impacts can have. As climate change influences the weather to become warmer in cooler states, air conditioning is used more than usual. This only increases the carbon emissions that have made the climate like this to begin with.
Madalynn Matson
11/16/2021 16:04:19
The fact that temperatures have been rising this quickly and this aggressively is definitely concerning. Learning about climate change always makes it seem like we are still a few years away from seeing it’s effects, but in reality it’s already here.
Hailey Finnen
11/22/2021 15:30:33
Climate change is truly our greatest planetary boundary. How close we are creeping to that tipping point is so concerning. It iss scary to hear how unprepared the pacific Northwest was to handle this fiasco. It reminds me of the cold wave that hit Texas last winter that claimed lived due to the infrastructure of Texas being built for moderate temperatures year-round.
Keara McLaughlin
12/21/2021 23:17:53
These heatwaves are so unprecedented. The environmental impacts that they have are bad enough, but the impact on human life is absolutely horrible. Human actions are contributing to global warming in such a serious way that it is claiming lives. It's sad to know that this is going to be a continued problem.
Sobhie Nazal
12/21/2021 23:42:12
This was a very good read, you did great on this presentation. I love the amount of research you included in this presentation. It’s crazy to know that these heat waves aren’t getting easier on people and that they continue to cause negative impacts on people and their lives. I really think climate change should be paid more attention to in order to stop things like this from occurring too often. Leave a Reply. |
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