Images of the severe flooding in #Venice on the news are absolutely devastating. Rain brought the high tides to almost record highs, as the waters were merely centimeters less than the levels of the historic floods which occurred back in the 1960’s. Does this point to #climate change? According to many, it unquestionably does. According to others, climate change is, at the very least, a scary possibility.
Venice Flooding and Climate Change
Climate change is one hot topic lately. There continues to be indications across the globe that climate change is a major issue that needs to be addressed — and it needs to be addressed fast. The mayor (Luigi Brugnaro) recently blamed the Venice flooding on climate change. As a matter of fact, many people across the globe blamed the flooding on climate change. The belief is that the warmer the planet becomes (due in some part to actions of people which are preventable), the more extreme and frequent harsh weather conditions such as this will be seen in the future. When the planet becomes warmer, heavy rainfall becomes more powerful and sea levels rise. It turns into a disastrous cycle.
While there are always those who doubt the legitimacy of climate change, there is one thing we should all be able to agree on – the mayor knows Venice better than readers sitting in front of their computer screen or phone screen on the other side of the globe. High tides and rainfall are going to amplify events such as the current flooding in Venice – climate change and rising sea levels associated with it are at play, too. At what point does arguing against the concept that we need to take better care of our planet become just plain reckless? At what point does denying that bad things such as climate change can happen if we fail to respect our planet become wildly irresponsible? When beautiful cities such as Venice are – in actual fact – underwater, perhaps?
A Dangerous Cycle – Climate Change and Our Planet
There have been peer reviewed studies utilizing satellite-based methods essentially verifying that Venice is sinking. The concept that the flooding in Venice is connected to extreme snowfall in Austria has also been brought to light, which again can be linked to climate change. Here’s one theory relevant to climate change that should alarm anyone – in accordance with Anders Levermann, for each degree that our planet is warming, the sea level will rise roughly 2.5 meters. His belief is that Venice will drown, and cities such as New York, Hamburg, and Hong Kong will have to make major adjustments because of climate change. The mayor of Venice is confident that climate change is at least, in part, the cause of the severe flooding taking place. It seems that many experts in climate change, and experts in their own cities, are recognizing that climate change is a huge problem. Activists such as #Greta Thunberg are calling for people everywhere to listen to what scientists are saying regarding climate change. She is a young woman who has become a household name in her fight to protect people, ecosystems and our planet Earth by encouraging action against climate change.
It has been a tremendously sad time for Venice. Was it all preventable? Just last week (as of this writing) #St. Mark’s Square was shut down over safety concerns. Centuries-old buildings have been destroyed. Floods have torn through the city. If there is even a chance that climate change is the cause, then to ignore it is a crime to both the history of our world and to the future of our planet. Climate change will lead to historic cities being submerged in water. It is leading to the collapse of ecosystems. When will it be enough for more people to take action?
Stay in the know. Read the news and continue to learn about climate change and the impact it can have and is having. Take small steps to make a positive difference – we can and must make changes! We must take action against climate change!
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2019/11/16/venice-flooding-reveals-a-real-hoax-about-climate-changeframing-it-as-eitheror/#5cdd28473a12
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