It may be the fall semester, but the weather’s had little resemblance to autumn. The unofficial start to the season has brought yet another stretch of 90-degree days in DC.
On July 4, when fireworks decorated the DC skies, the sun was setting on the planet’s hottest day in recorded history.
At other points this summer, floods ravaged parts of New England. Smoke from Canadian wildfires choked much of the country, especially on the East Coast. A hurricane uncharacteristically bore down on the Pacific Coast. And, tragically, Maui saw the deadliest wildfire in modern US history…as much of the country dealt with prolonged heat waves.
For Kogod Department of Management professor Jennifer Oetzel, whose research focuses on social, economic, and environmental sustainability, the underlying climate change implications of this summer’s extreme weather only underscores the urgency for change-oriented policymaking, business practices, and preparing the next generation of changemakers.
“Unfortunately, I think it’s going to be a bellwether for what we can expect going forward,” Oetzel said. “It’s the new normal, and it’s incredibly alarming.”
Here are five key takeaways she shared from this summer’s extreme weather.
As dramatic as the hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires are, it may be the high heat that concerns Oetzel most regarding the effects of climate change.
“Heat waves, in particular, are the deadliest of all the natural disasters and natural hazards,” she pointed out.
And the numbers this summer were staggering.
July was the world’s hottest month on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).
And that was after Earth’s hottest June ever.
“The magnitude of the problem is only going to increase, unfortunately,” Oetzel said.
Depending on where you live, climate change may affect you or your loved ones beyond Mother Nature’s direct impact, like a storm or a flood.
California, for instance—a state frequently affected by wildfires—has seen two major insurance providers say they won’t sell new home owner’s insurance policies in the state.
“This may change where companies want to do business, investment patterns,” Oetzel said. “Insurance is not going to be available in many areas.”
That’s on top of the growing humanitarian crises posed by climate change, from questions in Hawaii about the warning systems in Maui amid the August wildfire to the extreme heat factory workers face in Asia, as recently reported by the Washington Post.
In these challenges, Oetzel says, there’s an opportunity for leaders who are genuinely ready to combat these problems.