Super-Weather Response

            Is climate change still controversial? Climate change means extreme weather. We just got hit by a Superstorm. Last year we had a bunch of Supertornadoes to go along with “hundred year” droughts and floods, which are now occurring every couple of years. We had 14 billion dollar disasters last year and seven so far this year. All we need is a giant lizard wreaking havoc. So we are now experiencing Super-weather. Are there capes involved? Aren’t there supposed to be Super-Heroes to protect us?

            Is “global warming” occurring? There is no doubt of it for those who observe rather than “believe”. The numbers are clear. 2012 was the warmest year since records began to be kept in 1895. Temperatures continue to rise globally every year for the past few decades. Expect coastal sea levels to rise by two feet, with storm surges averaging eight feet by 2050. By 2100, expect coastal sea levels to rise by about six feet from present, with all the accompanying challenges that will bring. More water in the atmosphere means more extreme weather patterns. So weather will get more extreme more often. Welcome to the new normal.

            If a “storm of the century” happens every few years, it becomes a new normal and business as usual. So how does business become usual again when faced with the “unusual”? How do we protect our cities and communities from extreme weather?

            Most of us have lived in the State of Denial. There is a temptation when it dawns on us that something is “going on” to rush towards the State of Over-Engineering. “We have to build our cities to withstand (insert your naughty weather event here)”. We can’t afford it and it won’t help.

            If the future (and present) doesn’t resemble the past, it is difficult to predict what we need to do to protect ourselves. We can say with certainty we have to rethink how we build and where we build. It is not difficult to see that we could over-build and over-engineer in anticipation of upcoming Super-weather events.

            I would advocate that our goal and outcome to shoot for in renewing our communities and homes is resilience, how to “bounce back” quickly from an extreme event. We should retool our infrastructures, when we bother to rebuild them, to be engineered for resilience. We should likewise consider preparing our homes and families to increase resilience. Resilience involves changing our thinking in addition to changing our engineering.

            But aren’t our cities more environmentally conscious? Many of our large cities have green initiatives to reduce heat, emissions, and save money. Resilience is not yet a factor or priority in these designs. Since the Government is accountable to the People in this country, we should direct them to make it a consideration and priority.

             What specifically should we renew for resilience? First of all, anything underground such as subways, tunnels, sewers, and water treatment plants, or anything else that shouldn’t be an aquarium. This is less about making them waterproof and more about routing water out of them if needed.

            I could drone on a list of specifics important for resilience, but the bottom line is we all have to become more aware and committed to preparing for extreme weather events. We have to hold the decision makers and purse string holders accountable to prepare for such events. We need, as a society, to become more adaptive, constantly improving our ability to respond. This is true in our homes as well as in our communities. Is all of this “renewal” expensive? Sure, but consider the alternatives. And don’t wait until solutions are “perfect” to start implementing them. That’s part of adaptation. If we fail to adapt, we will shift our budget from the Pentagon to FEMA.

            A major component of the “global warming” controversy is how much people cause and perpetuate extreme weather. Frankly, Scarlet, I don’t care. The Super-Hurricane knocking at your door also doesn’t care what you “believe”. We need to work together to reduce emissions to get at the low end of climate change projections. If our lifestyles are promoting severe weather, for our sake and the sake of our kids, we might consider changing our lifestyles. Not because we “have to” but because it’s “smart to”.

            We should essentially create social wisdom around the subject of extreme weather. Our policy makers, insurers and private sector should partner to create new risk assessments and value estimates. We can’t live like we have always lived because our climate is changing. Extreme weather was not a factor in our past decision making. It is cost prohibitive to sustain the past or thoughtlessly create the future.

            We need a strategic perspective to making ourselves safer. The conversation is not more resilient structures versus emission reduction. This is not either/or. Do I stop smoking or get off my Cheetos diet to get healthier? We change our personal health after that first heart attack. We need to change our lives and society across the board because we will continue to get our butts kicked by Mother Nature.

            It is human nature to think and plan locally. To shift our thinking, it is important to keep our conversations local. Is my community, my house, my family prepared for an extreme weather event? What is the most important or cost effective steps we can take to become better prepared?

            Disasters are good opportunities for change. Governors say they will “rebuild”. If we rebuild the past rather than the future, we do ourselves and future generations a disservice. We sow the wind and will reap the whirlwind.