Climate Change Rains Down

Over the last 50 years, millions of people from around the world have been affected by the increase in natural disasters. The United States being the second most economically affected by natural disasters. Causing many communities to become homeless and destitute because of severe storm damage and little access to water from intense droughts. Little did we know, climate change has been the most crucial factor in the increase of floods, droughts, tornados, and many other extreme weather conditions. 

Climate change is defined as a change in global/regional weather or climate patterns. In recent years, the atmosphere and the weather has become warmer from climate change. The Rise in temperature induces more evaporation, fueling rapid and extreme rainstorms, producing floods. The warmth leads to a warmer ocean surface, resulting in an increase in tropical storms. Tropical storms, including hurricanes and cyclones, have dramatically become more calamitous in warmer climates because, when they pull in more water vapor and heat, they produce stronger winds and heavier rainfall. Glaciers have slowly melted from the warmer climate. Leading to the rise of sea levels, exposing areas of land not accustomed to being hit with current and erosive waves, bringing destructive erosion and flooding. 

The warmer climate is mainly caused by burning fossil fuels, deforestation, increasing livestock farming, using fertilizers containing nitrogen, and fluorinated gases. With non-reusable fuel production remaining the most commonly used energy source

In the future, the world is likely to experience a continuation of rising severe natural disasters, if the increased warmth in the climate is not stunted by using non-reusable fuel.  Richer countries, such as the United States and China, are responsible for at least 50% of greenhouse gases being admitted into the atmosphere over the past 170 years.

Globally, natural disasters send about 26 million people into poverty every year. With many buildings, workplaces, and homes being damaged due to natural disasters in the United States, the US has been the second most economically damaged. Economic damage causes poverty, homelessness, and mental and physical health issues because many communities affected by natural disasters may have lost their homes and workplaces. 

Many countries and communities around the world have also been severely impacted by the rise in natural disasters. The most affected countries include the Philippines, China, Japan, and Bangladesh. Developing countries have 90% of the world’s deaths related to natural disasters. According to, WMO(World Meteorological Organization) Secretary-General, Prof Petteri Taalas, “The number of weather, climate and water extremes are increasing and will become more frequent and severe in many parts of the world as a result of climate change.”

To help prevent an increase of the natural disasters affecting the world, we must begin to power our homes with renewable energy, invest in energy-efficient appliances, use outlet-needed devices as minimally as possible, use automobiles and planes as little as possible, and purchase carbon offsets. These devices offset the carbon you produce by using clean energy instead of fossil fuels. If we do begin to reverse climate change, future generations will suffer from more unpredictable and harmful weather. 

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 Liliana Chavez is a 9th-grade writer for the ASK Academy newspaper, The ASK Catalyst. 

Email:  lchavez@theaskacademy.org