The tropical rain belt, also known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone, contains equatorial areas considered the warmest in the world. The belt is a meeting point for trade winds from the planet’s Northern and Southern hemispheres, which bring in humidity and precipitation. The rain belt oscillates annually from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere tropics in movement with the sun.
By Abby Wester ’22
Staff Writer
Hanna. Isaias. Laura. These are the names of a few of the destructive hurricanes that we have already experienced in the Atlantic basin this year. The Atlantic basin consists of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Every year, from late summer to early autumn, this region experiences tropical storms reaching from the Caribbean Islands to the U.S. Coastal Gulf and up to the East Coast. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2020 has already been a record-setting active season.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially lasts from June 1 to Nov. 30. Storms are only named when they develop from a tropical depression to a tropical storm, which can then develop into a hurricane. An average hurricane season in the Atlantic basin produces 12 named storms, with six developing into hurricanes, and three of those becoming major hurricanes. Already in the 2020 season we have seen 20 tropical storms, seven of which developed into hurricanes.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, hurricanes in the North Atlantic have become more intense since 1970. There is some confidence among scientists that this is related to climate change. However, scientists have not predicted that climate change will increase the number of hurricanes, which is what we are seeing in the Atlantic basin this season.
Although science has not proven that climate change is contributing to the number of hurricanes, Professor of Geography Thomas Millette reasoned that “since the earth is getting dramatically warmer, it makes perfect sense that we are getting both higher frequency and intensity of storms.” He explained that hurricanes “are one of the atmosphere's mechanisms to globally redistribute energy from areas of high concentrations to areas of lower concentration.”
Climate change is resulting in higher temperature, and according to Millette, “more heat and more water vapor in areas of tropical storm development are the key ingredients for stronger hurricanes. Climate warming in these source areas will likely lead to increasingly stronger hurricanes.”
While the hurricane season continues to rage on in the Atlantic basin, human activity that leads to warming, such as burning fossil fuels, has not ceased. As long as human activity continues to warm the Earth, we are bound to see environmental change. In the opinion of Professor Millette, “unless we find ways to reduce warming in the source areas for tropical storm development, we are likely to see increases in both frequency and intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes in the very near future and long term as well.”
Updates for September 10th
A record-setting heat wave swept through Southern California reaching a high of 121 F. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning on Sunday, Sept. 6 for areas in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
California is grappling with an unprecedented wildfire season made worse by the historic heatwave. Over the Labor Day weekend, about 200 hikers in the Sierra Nevada National Forest trapped by the spreading flames had to be airlifted out by helicopters.
The heatwave and wildfires in the West, a massive derecho in the Midwest and the record-breaking 2020 hurricane season illustrate an extreme climate future. Read about the connection between these weather events and climate change here.
The European Environment Agency confirmed on Tuesday, Sept. 8 that environmental factors such as air pollution and heatwaves worsened by climate change contribute to around 13 percent of all deaths in Europe.
Ministers from 11 African countries met virtually on Monday, Sept. 7 to discuss progress on implementing the Great Green Wall, an initiative to develop a 15-kilometer-wide and 8,000-kilometer-long vegetation strip across Africa said to be integral in coronavirus recovery.
Oil refineries in the Louisiana petrochemical industry have been impacted by recent hurricanes, dumping harmful substances into the environment and disproportionately impacting communities of color.
EPA relaxes standards that limit toxic waste and regulate wastewater from coal-fired power plants. Environmental groups claim this makes rivers and streams more vulnerable to contamination by corrosive pollutants like lead, selenium and arsenic.
Communities permanently affected by environmental damage or economic disinvestment are known as “sacrifice zones.” Read this article about how these areas are currently on the front lines of both climate change and the global pandemic.
Read about these organizations which are helping the youth of color enjoy the outdoors in the middle of the global pandemic.
In Ottawa, Canada, farming techniques that reduce greenhouse gas emissions are being developed.
Updates for July 20
Frozen ground in the Arctic is thawing, harming Indigenous people’s hunting livelihoods as well as destabilizing buildings and roads.
The third EU country to do so, Portugal announced closure of national coal plants, driven to this decision in response to rising carbon costs and competition from clean energy companies.
As a result of COVID-19, once manicured green spaces in cities across the world have been left to be rewilded with native flowers and grasses which have been attracting more diverse ecosystems of insects, birds and wildlife.
Zanzibar in East Africa, a global hotspot for seaweed production, is initiating a new program for sustainable seaweed production.
Joe Biden revealed a $2 trillion climate plan.
As methane emissions have reached a global high, Burger King will be treating cows to a new feed that includes lemongrass as part of an experiment on reducing the amount of methane cows burp into the atmosphere.
Trump overturns key environmental laws which will speed up approval for projects like pipelines and highways, which could negatively impact low-income and minority communities.
Read up on the links between racism and the environment with this resource list from The New York Times.
Read up on the disproportionate effects of the climate crisis on Indigenous peoples and people of color with this article from Vice: The Environmental Movement Needs to Reckon with Its Racist History
Read up on the factors that make communities of color more susceptible to climate disasters with this article from Grist: Why Racial Justice is Climate Justice
Read up on the intersectionality between defunding the police and the environmental movement with this article from Vice: Why ‘Defunding the Police’ Is Also an Environmental Issue
Read up on the challenges racism adds to climate activism and work with this article from The Washington Post: Racism Derails Our Efforts to Save the Planet
